


Reign of stardust

by Laughingvirus



Series: stardust au [1]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Badass!Seungmin, Blood, Childhood Friends to Lovers, Dragon!Chan, Dragon!Changbin, Dragon!Jisung, Felix is a confused sweetheart, Fluff, Forest Spirit!Hyunjin, Forest Spirit!Minho, Friends to Lovers, Human!Jeongin, Idiots in Love, Kind-of-fallen-Star!Felix, Knight!Chan, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Prince!Felix, Slow Burn, human!seungmin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:26:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 82,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25857403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laughingvirus/pseuds/Laughingvirus
Summary: Once upon a time, a star fell.In the new world, she was alone and scared.Until she met a boy.The boy was kind to her and showed her what it meant to be human.He taught her what love was.And from that love, a son was born.
Relationships: Bang Chan/Lee Felix, Han Jisung | Han/Seo Changbin, Hwang Hyunjin/Yang Jeongin | I.N, Kim Seungmin/Lee Minho | Lee Know
Series: stardust au [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2016992
Comments: 331
Kudos: 549





	1. The little prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The little prince sits on his throne, golden ring around his finger and a torn heart._

Felix inhaled sharply, his face blank as he stared at his father. He should have foreseen this. His hands balled into fists and he exhaled as his heart raced in his chest. There was no use in arguing about this, he knew that he had a duty to the kingdom and he had to follow his father’s decisions.

“When do they arrive?” he asked, his voice trembling.

“In a couple of days,” his father replied, the tone of his voice so cold it made Felix flinch. “When they arrive, we’ll have your engagement celebrations and start planning the wedding.”

“I see,” Felix said, trying his best to keep his voice steady. His mouth felt dry and his chest tight. “What’s… What’s their name?”

“His name is Dongyul. He’s the youngest prince of the west and around your age,” his father said plainly and Felix nodded, unable to find the right words to use. “I have discussed this with the council and we have agreed that he’s a good match for you.”

Felix nodded again, his head low.

“You must understand that this union would be invaluable for us,” his father said.

Felix pressed his lips together, not replying. He could hear the heavy sigh that fell from his father’s lips and guilt was starting to build up in his gut. He shouldn’t be acting so selfish right now. He knew how powerful the kingdom in the west was; a union between him and a prince of the west would be a great opportunity. It would protect his people.

But…

“What if I don’t want to?” Felix asked, his voice wavering and he hesitated before looking up to meet his father’s gaze.

The moment they locked eyes, Felix regretted his decision.

His father was staring at him with empty eyes, his facial muscles tense. Felix’s heart was beginning to race in his chest and he took a shuddering breath.

“You are to get married with Prince Dongyul,” his father said, voice so harsh Felix flinched. “This is not something I’m willing to discuss with you, Felix.”

So you don’t care about me, was what Felix wanted to say. But the words remained unspoken and he simply nodded. His chest felt tight and he had to focus on just breathing. He wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. He wanted to be anywhere but here. He stared down at his feet, waiting for his father to speak.

“You are dismissed,” was all his father said.

Felix’s heart dropped like a stone. He took a deep breath and met his father’s eyes.

“You’ve changed,” he said, his voice trembling. “Ever since mother died.”

“Felix,” his father warned.

“I’ll marry Prince Dongyul,” Felix said, his voice cracking just the slightest. “But know that not even your son can recognize you anymore.” He turned around and began to leave, his steps quick. When he reached the door, he paused and turned back to look at his father. “You’re no longer the man who raised me.” He swallowed hard. “Maybe he died when my mother did.”

He slammed the door behind him.

  
  
  
  
  


Felix’s chest felt tight and he knew he was going to break down into tears at any moment. His footsteps echoed down the marbled hallway as he rushed towards his room. Tears were stinging in his eyes but he forced himself to keep his head high. He was the prince and he would not let himself be overwhelmed.

“Your highness,” Jeongin, one of the servants, greeted as Felix approached. As he stopped, he dusted his hands off on the dark gray apron he was wearing over his uniform, leaving faint flour marks. He shook his head a bit to get his black, curly bangs out of his face. “Are-” He glanced around the hallway. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” Felix said, his voice cracking. Jeongin didn’t comment on it and for that, Felix was thankful. “Would you call Chan for me, please?” he asked, doing his best to keep his voice stable.

“Of course,” Jeongin said, bowing his head to Felix before scurrying down the hallway.

Felix watched Jeongin’s back for a moment before he swallowed hard and turned to continue making his way to his room.

His room was neat, just as he had left it, but instead of feeling like his safe place, he felt trapped the second the door closed behind him. With his back pressed to the door, he let out a shaky breath and blinked, trying to get rid of the tears.

This wasn’t happening. He wanted it all to be a dream. Just a bad dream.

As the tears began to roll down his cheeks, he cursed himself for even thinking something so stupid. Of course this would happen. His parents had been the lucky few to be able to marry out of love. He wasn’t going to be that fortunate.

He took a deep breath and walked over to the window.

Tears were blurring his vision and he violently rubbed his eyes to get rid of them. He knew his eyes would get red and swollen, but in this very moment he didn’t care. He wasn’t planning on attending the dinner tonight anyway. He needed to gather his thoughts.

“What do I do?” he asked no one in particular, staring up into the sky. Night had since long fallen and the sky was dark, mostly clear with a few clouds lazily drifting in front of the stars and the crescent moon. His eyes wandered over the stars, studying the constellations closely and his heart ached in his chest. “What do I do?”

He stared at the sky for a moment before he took a deep breath. He turned back to his wardrobe, unbuttoning the front of his white and silver embroidered jacket. He felt trapped in the tight and regal clothing. He needed to change into something else.

As he changed into his sleeping attire, his mind kept drifting back to what his father had said. You’re engaged. Each time the thought returned, he had to pause and he took a deep breath, blinking the tears out of his eyes before he could continue.

The soft, almost see through fabric of his night shirt made it easier to breathe. He felt a bit better as he returned to the windowsill. He leaned his elbows against the cool stone, his eyes returning to observe the constellations in the dark sky.

The knock on his door snapped him out of his daze and he spun around, eyes wide. He swallowed hard, his throat suddenly tightening up and it made it difficult for him to speak.

“Your highness?” Chan asked from the other side. “May I enter?”

Felix took a deep breath, trying to speak again but he couldn’t get a word past his lips.

“Your highness?” Chan repeated, his voice louder this time. He sounded worried.

“You may enter,” Felix called out, choking on his words as a small sob slipped past his lips.

There was a pause before the door creaked open and Chan entered the room. He was dressed down in only a dark linen shirt and his usual leather bracers and gloves; clearly he was off duty when Felix had asked for him. His dark grayish blond hair was messy, as if he had ran to Felix’s room.

Felix’s hand came up to grasp at the fabric over his chest and another sob bubbled up to the surface. He lowered his head, more tears welling up in his eyes.

“Lix?” Chan asked, his voice soft and while it should have been comforting, it only made Felix’s heart hurt more. He could hear Chan step closer, his footsteps soft against the cold floor. “What happened?”

“I-” Felix took a deep breath and looked up to meet Chan’s worried, bright blue eyes. “I’m engaged.”

The silence that followed was deafening. Chan just stared at Felix as he took it in and as the words had left his lips, the reality came crashing down on Felix. He felt his knees buckle under him but before he could react, Chan had grabbed a hold of him to keep him from falling to the floor.

“I’m engaged,” Felix repeated, his words coming out stuttering and broken. Chan wrapped his arms around him, still remaining silent as Felix clung onto the front of his shirt. “I’m engaged to someone I don’t know,” he whispered, blinking more tears out of his eyes. Chan’s hands brushed up and down his back, offering him some comfort.

Chan held onto Felix, rubbing Felix’s back. “It will be okay,” he whispered in Felix’s ear. “You’ll be okay, I promise.”

“I don’t know what to do,” Felix replied, holding onto Chan’s shirt as if his life depended on it. “I don’t know what to do.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Chan said, his voice coming out unexpectedly strong and Felix pulled back, sniffling as he locked eyes with Chan. “I’ll be right here, right beside you,” he said, something sparking inside his eyes. He carefully took Felix’s face in his hands, drying the tears off his cheeks. “I’ll remain beside you, every step on the way.”

“P-promise?” Felix asked, voice cracking and he inhaled sharply.

Chan nodded, leaning closer to rest his forehead against Felix’s. “I promise,” he said, his breath puffing against Felix’s face. Felix’s chest tightened and he hiccuped. “You got a dragon’s promise on that, your highness.”

Through the tears, a laugh bubbled in his chest and he pulled back from Chan, slapping his chest. “I told you not to call me that,” he said, drying his eyes violently.

“Hey,” Chan said, fondness lacing his tone and he grabbed onto Felix’s wrists, prying them away from his face. “Don’t rub your eyes, they’ll end up red and puffy.”

Felix sniffled but nodded. His hands dropped to his side and his shoulders slumped.

“I’m scared,” he confessed, averting his eyes. “I’m- I don’t know what to- What do I do?”

Chan took a deep breath, shoulders dropping as well before he ran a hand through his dark gray hair. “I guess I can’t persuade you to run away with me, can I?” he asked, coy smile stretching on his lips.

“I can’t just abandon my duties like that,” Felix protested, ignoring the way his heart fluttered in his chest. “I have to stay here.”

“I know,” Chan said, face falling for a second before he offered Felix a tight lipped smile. “I guess there’s not much to do but wait and see.”

“But-”

“You don’t know anything about your fiancé, right?” Felix shook his head, lips pressed together. “Then we can’t do much but wait and see.”

Felix nodded, taking a deep breath. He didn’t know what to say. Chan smiled softly, in that way that always made Felix feel like everything would be alright. He reached out to brush some of Felix’s bright silver hair away from his forehead.

“I’m tired,” he whispered and Chan chuckled, his fingers dancing over Felix’s cheek before he pulled it back.

“You should go to sleep,” Chan said, the smile never leaving his lips. “It’s late anyway.”

Felix nodded, licking his dry lips and he swallowed hard before speaking again. “Would you stay?” he asked. “Just… just until I fall asleep.” He looked down at the floor, feeling his ears heat up. “I know it’s stupid and I shouldn’t but-”

“I’ll stay,” Chan said and Felix snapped his head up, eyes wide. “Remember when we were younger? I promised to protect you from bad dreams, didn’t I?”

“You did,” Felix said, his heart fluttering as Chan took his hand and led him towards the bed.

As Felix climbed under the covers, Chan began to remove his gloves. He placed them on the bedside table and sat down on the side of the bed, the mattress creaking under his weight. Felix reached out to take Chan’s hand. He held onto Chan’s warm hand for a moment, stroking his thumb over the dark gray scales that adorned the back of Chan’s hand.

“Go to sleep, little prince,” Chan said and Felix pouted.

“Don’t call me that,” he said, falling back into the soft pillows. Chan only smiled at him, reaching out to stroke the bridge of Felix’s nose, causing Felix’s eyelids to flutter. “Please don’t leave,” he whispered. “I don’t want to be alone.”

“I won’t leave,” Chan said. “I’ll be right here.”

Felix nodded, remaining silent as his eyelids were growing heavier and he could feel the exhaustion settle in his bones. He was really tired and he just wanted to sleep. Sleep wouldn’t change anything, but he wanted some rest; a quiet moment of peace to just rest.

“You can fall asleep,” Chan whispered, and his quiet words were the last thing that Felix heard before darkness finally claimed him, the claws of sleep dragging him into a dreamless and peaceful slumber.

When he awoke the next morning, his bedside was empty and his chest felt oddly heavy.

  
  
  
  


The days leading up to the arrival of his fiancé were nerve-racking and Felix spent most of that time trying to distract himself. He took long walks through the gardens, spent much time in the library reading and studying. Anything that could provide him a good distraction from thinking about what was to come.

He was sitting by the knights’ practice area, watching the young knights in training. It had been a good excuse to get out of the castle and a reason to see Chan. His father wasn’t overly fond of Felix’s attachment to the dragonguard, but Felix’s mother had adored Chan so Felix suspected that his father just didn’t mention it because of his late wife.

Chan was training with one of the other knights, one of the humans, and Felix kept his eyes focused on the practice fight, watching their every move with sharp eyes. He watched every move, trying his best to memorize it in an attempt to keep his mind occupied. He tugged at the sleeves of his linen shirt, the fabric course against his fingertips. The attire was very casual compared to what he usually wore but he preferred this over his usual white jacket with silver embroideries.

“My prince,” Jisung, one of the other dragonguards, said as he sat down beside Felix on the stone bench. “You look rather gloom today.”

Felix snorted and a smile stretched on Jisung’s lips.

“Sorry, that was a bad attempt at making you smile,” he said, running a hand through his hair. The light blond parts of his bangs seemed to have gotten even paler since last they had spoken. Not a lot of time had passed, but last time there had been a bit more yellow in Jisung’s hair, now replaced with almost white hair.

“I appreciate it though,” Felix said, shoulders relaxing a bit and he turned back to look toward the training ground. “I cannot do much to change the tapestry of fate.” He paused, glancing to Jisung. Jisung looked very sceptical, an eyebrow raised but he didn’t comment on anything. “We’re a small kingdom.”

“That we are.”

“We need strong allies.”

“True.”

“My-” Felix licked his lips. “My fiancé,” the word was sour in his mouth, “is the fifth prince of the west. The union is very valuable to the kingdom.”

“It is,” Jisung agreed. He wasn’t looking at Felix anymore, his attention turned to the training grounds below. “But humor me,” he said, lowering his voice a bit. His eyes lingered at the training grounds for a moment before shifting back to Felix. It was as if his yellow eyes were piercing through Felix’s soul. “If you were to decide for yourself, and not because it’s for the best of the country, would you accept the engagement?”

“You’re on thin ice, sir knight,” Felix said, unable to hold back a smile and Jisung chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re lucky you’re my friend.”

“Incredibly lucky,” Jisung agreed, his grin only growing wider when Felix playfully shoved his shoulder.

Then his expression grew serious, his eyes wandering the surroundings.

“No.”

“No what?”

“If it wasn’t for the kingdom, I wouldn’t accept the engagement,” Felix whispered, lowering his head. “I don’t know this prince. I don’t know what he’s like and I’m… I’m scared of the future.”

Jisung opened his mouth to speak, then promptly closed it again.

“Your highness,” a soft voice said, breaking up the conversation and the two of them turned to see Seungmin approach. He was dressed in the uniform of the servants, white shirt and checkered pants, and he offered Felix a gentle smile. His appearance was neat, his brown hair brushed to the side and away from his forehead, but there was something in his eyes. He looked almost nervous or unsettled. Whatever it was, the look in his eyes told Felix that he wasn’t going to like the news. “Your fiancé will be here shortly.”

Felix swallowed hard, his throat suddenly closing up and he couldn’t do anything but nod. He stood up and dusted off his shirt, tight smile on his lips as he gave Seungmin another nod.

“We better go and prepare then,” he said softly, glancing at Jisung and Seungmin nodded. Jisung’s expression was serious as he stood up.

“I’ll notify the rest of the guards,” he said before leaving Felix alone with Seungmin. Seungmin smiled, a tightlipped and almost sad smile before he took a step to the side, letting Felix walk past him.

As they began to walk, Felix paused for a second and looked towards the practice area. Chan and the other knight had finished. The other knight was heading towards the barracks, but Chan remained and he looked in Felix’s direction. Felix watched as Jisung walked up to Chan, informing him of what was to come. The distance between them was too great and Felix couldn’t make out Chan’s expression as he turned to look at Felix again.

“Your highness?” Seungmin asked and Felix blinked. “We should be getting you ready.”

“You’re right,” Felix said, his jaw tense and he straightened his back. “Let’s go,” he said, willing his voice to stay as even as possible.

The gravel creaked quietly under his boots as he walked, but the sound seemed to echo in Felix’s ears as he walked up towards the castle, towards a very uncertain future.

  
  
  
  
  


When Felix entered the throne room he was surrounded by dragonguards. Chan was walking beside him, wearing the more decorative armor with imitation of dragon scales on his shoulders. On Felix’s other side was Jisung, adorning a decorative version of his usual attire. The same applied to Changbin who was walking immediately behind him.

As they reached the end of the throne room and settled beside Felix’s father, Felix let out a shaky breath. He glanced down at himself, adjusting the deep purple sash to make sure it was in perfect place. The dark color contrasted with the rest of his white and silver attire. With trembling hands, he brushed his hair to the side.

“Stop fiddling, your highness,” Chan whispered, leaning a bit closer to Felix.

“I’m trying my best,” Felix said, taking a deep breath and he looked over the room.

They weren’t alone in the room. The members of the council were present, talking among each other as they waited. Their focus was mostly turned towards Felix and his father, their gazes flickering between Felix and the door. Felix’s chest felt tight, as if he couldn’t breathe and he had to take a moment to just force himself. He felt so small in front of everyone and his heart was hammering against his ribcage.

As the door leading into the room opened, Felix jumped in surprise and he wanted nothing more than to hide. He blinked a couple of times, feeling tears beginning to well up as their guests arrived.

They were a group of around fifteen people, most of them dressed in armor and half-capes. In the front of the group was an older woman and a man. The woman had her blonde hair pulled into neat braids and wore a leather armor with a yellow cloak over. Maybe she was the man’s personal guard, just like Chan was to Felix. The man on the other hand appeared to be around Felix’s age or maybe a bit older, dressed in fine silks and elegant embroidered fabric. The jacket he wore was a lush green while the cloak pulled over was a darker, duller green. He wore a charming smile as he looked around the room, the smile stretching further on his lips as he met Felix’s gaze.

Felix’s stomach churned.

“Your majesty,” the man said as he bowed. “It’s an honor to be here.” He turned his attention to Felix, the smile still on his lips. “You must be Prince Felix.”

“Yes,” Felix said, taking a step forward and away from the three dragons. “I’d assume you’re Prince Dongyul,” he said, his voice just a bit dry as he held out his hand. His stomach twisted and he forced a smile when Dongyul pressed his lips against his fingers.

“That would be me,” Dongyul said, straightening his back. “I’m delighted to finally meet you, my prince,” he continued.

Felix forced a smile, pulling his hand back and he took a step back towards his guards, hoping Dongyul wouldn’t take notice of the action. He took a deep breath, eyes shifting between his father and Dongyul.

“Your engagement party is tomorrow,” Felix’s father said, stiff smile on his lips as he looked over the crowd below.

“That sounds perfect,” Dongyul said, glancing at Felix. “That would give me and Prince Felix a lot of time to get to know each other.”

At his words, Felix could hear a low hiss from behind but he couldn’t pinpoint the source. He only forced the smile to remain on his lips, his hands clasped together. There was a pause and Felix’s gut twisted nervously, and when he locked eyes with his father, his father simply raised an eyebrow.

Felix cleared his throat, bringing the attention in the room to him. “I could show prince Dongyul the gardens,” he offered, his heart speeding up in his chest. He didn’t want to do this; he didn’t want anything to do with Dongyul; he wanted to be anywhere but here. “I’d bring my guards of course,” he continued, turning to his father to assure him of his safety, “but if the prince wishes, we could take a stroll through our garden before dinner tonight.”

“I’d be delighted to get to know you, my prince,” Dongyul said, bowing again.

Felix only smiled.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea, your highness,” the head of the council agreed and Felix felt anger stir within him. Oh how he hated this council right now.

“I’ll let the prince and his entourage settle before our walk,” Felix said, his face starting to hurt from the forced smiling. He let his gaze wander over the council before settling on the fifth prince of the west. “I’m sure you’d like a moment of peace after your long journey.”

“I’d hate to keep a beauty like you waiting,” Dongyul said, something twinkling in his eyes. “But I would not say no to a moment to collect myself and sort out my luggage.”

“I’ll send a servant for you later then,” Felix said with a nod before turning to his father. “Maybe someone should show my fiancé and his entourage to their rooms,” he said, his voice strained.

His father nodded and turned to the servant that stood beside him, giving them quiet instructions. The servant in question nodded before straightening their back and gesturing for Prince Dongyul to follow them.

Felix stood there, back straight and the smile never falling from his lips as he watched his fiancé leave the throne room. Right before they walked out the heavy wooden door, Dongyul turned to meet Felix’s gaze and a crooked grin tugged at the corner of his lips.

Felix felt sick.

  
  
  
  


“I despise him,” Felix said as he paced back and forth in his room. “I cannot believe that just happened.”

“I’d suggest you’d sit down for a bit, my prince,” Jisung said, eyes never leaving Felix as he paced in the room. “I believe that this isn’t very good for your heart. Maybe practice some breathing exercises.”

“Did I ask for your opinion?” Felix snapped, his voice coming out harsher than he had intended and he paused his pacing. “I’m sorry Jisung,” he said, running a hand through his bright hair. “I didn’t mean to snap at you. I am not angry with you.”

“I know.”

“I’m angry with my father, the council and with myself.”

“Why yourself?” Jisung asked, crossing his legs as he cocked an eyebrow. “What did you do in this situation to make yourself angry?”

“I allowed this to happen,” he said, massaging his temples. “I should have said no.”

“Do you think your father would have accepted a no?” Jisung fired back, not looking convinced. Felix’s shoulders dropped as he shook his head. “I’m convinced you did try to say no and get the engagement called off.”

“I did,” Felix said quietly, sitting down on the side of his bed with a heavy sigh. “He wouldn’t budge… said the decision had already been made. The council had agreed and there was nothing he could do about it.”

“This sounds more like it’s on the council and your father than you,” Jisung said.

Felix was quiet for a moment, letting out a small hum before speaking. “You’re right,” he sighed, ruffling his hair.

“Be careful, my prince,” Jisung said, glint of mischief sparking in his eyes. “You don’t want to appear disheveled in front of your fiancé.”

“You’re on my list of people I despise,” Felix said as he rolled his eyes. He paused and took a deep breath, standing up. “I suppose we’ve given them some time to unpack. I will have to follow up on my promise.”

“Yes.”

Felix’s mind wandered for a moment and he stared towards his door, dreading the approaching stroll in the gardens. His hands balled into fists and he had to take another breath to calm himself. “Do you know where Chan went?” he asked, trying to distract himself away from the impending doom. “He just wandered off after the meeting with the kingdom in the west.”

Jisung hesitated for a moment, lips slightly parted and eyes darting around. He swallowed hard before he spoke. “He said he had some newbies to train in the afternoon.”

“Have new guards arrived without my knowledge?” Felix asked, raising an eyebrow. “I’m certain that Chan had finished the introduction with the new guards two weeks ago.”

“Well, there were some late additions,” Jisung said, waving his hand dismissively. There was a brief pause and the silence felt tense and awkward for some reason. Felix crossed his arms as Jisung cleared his throat. “You need a guard to accompany you on your stroll, right?”

“Yes,” Felix said, shoulders dropping a bit and his jaw tensed. “I doubt my father would be keen on the idea of me going along with my fiancé on the first stroll.”

“He would have someone’s head if anything did actually happen,” Jisung said in agreement. “And that head could be mine, so I’m taking no chances.”

Felix nodded, trying to not display his disappointment. It wasn’t that he disliked Jisung or anything, quite the opposite, but he wanted the comfort of Chan in this very moment. Jisung smiled, lips tight and eyes sad. He stood up from the chair and walked over to Felix.

“I’m sorry,” he said, placing a hand on Felix’s shoulder.

Felix shook his head. “Don’t be.” He straightened his back and willed himself to keep his head high. “I’ll get through this somehow.” He paused. “I have to.”

“Let’s head out then,” Jisung said and he moved over to the door. “Are you ready, your highness?”

“I am,” Felix said with a short nod. Jisung hummed and pushed the door handle down, holding the door open for Felix.

“After you, my prince,” he said with a bow and Felix took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself. There was something in his gut that told him that it wouldn’t matter. No matter how much he tried to prepare himself, he was going to be caught off guard by something.

  
  
  
  


The weather was nice. The garden was beautiful as always and the birds were chirping happily. It was the type of day that Felix would enjoy. But today was another story. He felt trapped. He hated every moment of his stroll. He just didn’t like Dongyul. Not at all.

“Are you always followed by…” Dongyul trailed off as he glanced back at Jisung. “A dragon?” He raised an eyebrow before the signature grin stretched on his lips again. “Dragons are not very common in the west, so I must say that I was surprised when I saw you with three.”

Felix studied Dongyul’s face for a moment, brows furrowed. He was an attractive man, Felix wasn’t going to lie, but there was something about him that made Felix uneasy. Maybe it was the unwavering confidence that bothered him, or the fact that they were forcefully getting married. Felix wasn’t sure.

“They’re my appointed guards,” he finally said and Dongyul hummed. Felix glanced back to Jisung who looked just as happy as Felix. He looked over Dongyul’s shoulder, to the woman who had walked right behind him yesterday. She was staring at Felix, her gaze so intense that Felix immediately averted his eyes and turned to Dongyul. “Dragons here are a bit more common.”

“I don’t know if it’s true but in the west, dragons are regarded as dangerous and the royal family has deemed them too unstable to be knights. According to the tales the dragons cannot control their shift if angered and my father thought that was unfit for a civilized court.”

Felix had to bite his tongue to not snap at Dongyul, opting for a forced smile instead.

“I’d say that is false,” Felix said, trying his best to keep a smile on his face. “Dragons are individuals, just like humans and I don’t think calling all of them dangerous and unstable is fair to them.”

“You’re right, of course,” Dongyul said, smile never leaving his lips. “My apologies, sir…” He trailed off as he looked towards Jisung.

“Jisung,” Jisung replied, voice strained and trembling ever so slightly. He was upset and Felix didn’t blame him. “Just Jisung, my prince.”

“Jisung,” Dongyul said, bowing his head to Jisung. “My apologies, Jisung. My intention was never to offend you.”

“Apology accepted, Prince Dongyul.”

Felix took a deep breath. “Shall we continue our stroll?” he asked and Dongyul nodded.

They continued down the dirt path for a while, just walking in silence before Dongyul spoke up.

“Tell me, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time, my prince?”

Felix turned to him, blinking as he processed the question.

Dongyul smiled. “I figured we might as well get the small talk out of the way.” That smug glint in his eyes returned. “With the engagement party tomorrow night and hopefully the wedding not too far away.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Felix said, strained smile on his lips. His skin was crawling and he looked towards Jisung, hoping his guard would be able to offer him a way out. “I enjoy the arts. I spend most of my spare time in the library or drawing if I can.”

“Not training with weapons?”

What an odd question, Felix thought as he shook his head. “I am trained to defend myself, but I do not enjoy practicing with weapons.” He paused, glancing back to Jisung again. “We have a trusted army and I believe that I do not need to constantly work on my fighting skills,” he said with a smile. “I assume you’re interested in weapon training then, Prince Dongyul.”

“I am,” Dongyul said, his smile softening in a way that Felix wasn’t prepared for. Gone was the smug and confident grin, replaced by a small but genuine smile as his eyes grew distant for a second. “I’m the youngest prince. I have a younger sister but also four older brothers,” he began to explain, staring off into the distance. “When I was young, I used to join my brothers in weapon training, even though I may have been too young to be holding a sword.” He chuckled and ran a hand through his black hair. “It was a way for me to enjoy my brothers’ company. They were quite busy when we grew up and weapon training was one of the few times I could be with them for longer stretches of time. Maybe I enjoy the memory of weapon training more than the actual activity.”

“That’s… that’s an awfully sweet reason behind it,” Felix said and Dongyul’s smile stretched wider, still remaining genuine. “I will admit that I may have been a bit too quick to judge you there, Prince Dongyul.” He bowed his head. “My apologies.”

“No apologies needed, my prince,” Dongyul said, looking over the gardens again. He paused as they reached one of the benches that lined the dirt path. “Would you mind sitting down with me for a moment?” he asked, gesturing towards the bench.

“Not at all.”

There was a moment of silence as they sat down. The silence felt a bit too heavy and awkward for Felix’s liking. He twisted a bit uncomfortably as he sat there, a bit too close to Dongyul for comfort.

“What’s it like being the only child?” Dongyul asked, breaking the silence. He wasn’t looking at Felix, only staring out over the garden.

Felix thought for a moment, studying Dongyul’s face as he thought. “It’s lonely,” he said and Dongyul faced him. “But I was fortunate enough to have servants and squires of the same age around me.”

“So you’re friends with your guards and servants?”

“Should I not?” Felix asked, brows furrowing as he leaned back a little. “I did not have anyone else to spend my time with. I’d say I’m friends with my servants and guards,” he continued, glancing back at Jisung. “Are you not friends with your guards?”

“I don’t think I’m as close to my guards as you are to yours. But I also had my siblings when I grew up,” Dongyul said. “But I don’t judge,” he added quickly. “It makes sense as you didn’t have siblings. I’m glad you had people around you to befriend.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Felix mumbled.

There was a pause and Felix turned his attention to his hands. He didn’t know what to say or what to do in order to lessen the tension in the air. All he wanted was to get away from here.

He couldn’t wait for the servants to call them for dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hello. This is my 50th skz fic and I'm very keen on making it PERFECT. that means i'm going to mash all my favorite things into one giant fic! Pls stay tuned as we go along and be mindful of the tags as they're going to be updated with each chapter! <3
> 
> thank you so much for reading <3 
> 
> You can find me on twitter @pinkpunchmango


	2. As the night falls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _No matter what you do, night will fall. And when it does, those who shy from the light will dare to approach._

He should be asleep; he knew that. He would have to get up early in the morning for a tour around the town with Dongyul. But Felix couldn’t sleep. He sat curled up in the window sill, dressed in his sleeping attire and watching the stars in the dark sky. The sky was pitch black and free from clouds, all the stars and constellations displayed in front of Felix’s eyes. He scanned the sky before finding the very familiar constellation.

His heart hurt in his chest.

“Mother,” he whispered to no one but himself. “Can you see everything from there? Are you watching over me like you promised you would?”

No one answered him. The stars only continued to twinkle above. He sighed and leaned his head against the cold window. Despite it being summer outside, the glass was cool and calming. He sat there, eyelids drooping as he just thought.

“I don’t want to marry prince Dongyul,” he said, his breath becoming visible on the window for a short moment. “I know it’s for the good of the kingdom but…” He swallowed hard. “I don’t want to marry him. I don’t know him at all. I want to marry someone I know and love, mother.” Tears were beginning to well up in his eyes and he blinked rapidly to get rid of them. “I want to marry…” He trailed off, not sure what to say.

A knock on his door caused him to sit up right and he turned to look towards the door with wide eyes.

“You may enter,” he called out, his voice trembling. He could only hope that whoever was on the other side didn’t hear the tremble. As the door creaked open, the tension in Felix’s body seemed to wash away and he felt calmer. “Chan,” he whispered, his chest becoming warm as the dragonguard stepped inside the room.

“Lix,” Chan said with a smile; it didn’t quite reach his eyes but Felix didn’t think much of it right now. “How are you?” he asked as Felix got off the windowsill to pad across the floor.

“Terrible,” he said as he reached Chan, immediately reaching out to take Chan’s hands. He could feel the heat through the leather of Chan’s gloves. “How are you?” he asked, exhaling shakingly as he began to undo the bracers. Chan didn’t protest, instead turning his hand a bit to make it easier for Felix.

“I’m… alright I guess,” he said, his voice strained. Felix looked up from Chan’s hands, tilting his head a little. “It’s nothing, little star,” he continued, laughing as he ruffled Felix’s hair with his now free hand. “I just… I have a bad feeling about all of this.”

“With prince Dongyul?” Felix asked. Chan’s face darkened and he clenched his jaw, nodding. “I don’t like it either and I’m not sure if it’s just because of the engagement or if there’s something else,” he said absentmindedly, pulling off Chan’s other glove.

“It’s unsettling,” Chan said and Felix hummed. Felix kept his eyes on the gloves in his hands. It wasn’t until Chan took Felix’s face in his hands that he looked up to meet his gaze. “I talked to Jisung. He told me about the walk in the garden,” he said, brushing some of Felix’s hair away from his forehead.

“It was awful,” Felix said with a pout. “I mean, it’s not like he’s a terrible man I’m just…” He trailed off, brows furrowing and he sighed. “I don’t know, it’s off-putting. He did say a few things that I strongly disagree with. Maybe I’m just being harsh on him simply because I don’t want to marry him.”

“Maybe,” Chan said, letting his hands drop to his sides. He looked Felix’s over, something so sad in his eyes and he reached out to take Felix’s hand, his skin warm against Felix’s. “I’m so sorry, Lix.”

Felix nodded, feeling the tightness in his chest returning and his throat closing up. “Please give me a hug,” he whispered, not wasting a second when Chan opened his arms for him. He wrapped his arms around Chan’s waist, tucking his head under Chan’s chin and he just let himself be held. He could feel Chan straighten his back a bit and Felix bent down a bit to make himself even smaller. He took a shuddering breath. “I’m so scared Chan.”

“You’ll be okay,” Chan said, clearly in an attempt to calm Felix but Felix could hear the doubt in his voice. Chan was just as uncertain as Felix was.

“It could be worse, I guess,” Felix mumbled, his voice slightly muffled by the fabric of Chan’s jacket. “He could be really rude and mean to me.”

“Yeah,” Chan said.

With his head pressed against Chan’s chest, Felix could feel the subtle tremors of a growl.

“Please don’t be too upset about this,” he whispered in an attempt to calm Chan a little. “I’ll be okay,” he continued, his hand finding Chan’s and he laced their fingers together. “I have you with me.”

“You do,” Chan said, pressing his nose into Felix’s hair. “I’ll try my best to watch over you and keep you safe.”

“You don’t have to try,” Felix said, tightening his grip of Chan’s hand. “You’re already doing the best job. I can’t ask more of you.”

Chan didn’t reply and Felix didn’t push the matter more. He didn’t want to think about what was to come. He wanted to stay like this, safe and secure in Chan’s arms. He didn’t want tomorrow to come.

  
  
  


Much to his dismay, tomorrow still came. It was a warm summer day, clear skies and birds chirping. It was as if the world around Felix was doing everything it could to spite him.

The preparations for the engagement party were causing mayhem in the castle. Servants were running back and forth, almost knocking each other over as they worked to prepare the party. The ballroom was being decorated and Felix’s heart dropped a bit as he saw the state of the castle. It looked so beautiful and it felt like it was all going to waste with the engagement of Felix and Dongyul.

Of course his father had arranged another meeting with Dongyul before the celebrations; another chance to get to know his fiancé a bit more. Needless to say, Felix wasn’t thrilled about it.

“You don’t look thrilled, your highness,” Seungmin said as he helped Felix with the long cape attached to his jacket. He smoothened the fabric to the floor and looked up at Felix with a raised eyebrow. “Did the prince say anything inappropriate to you during your walk yesterday?”

“No,” Felix said, shaking his head and some of his hair fell into his eyes. “He didn’t say anything. I’m just not thrilled about this engagement. That’s all. I’d preferred to choose my spouse, but I know I don’t live in a fairytale world. Marrying for love is a privilege and I should consider myself lucky to be paired up with someone like Prince Dongyul.”

There was a pause and Felix could have sworn that he heard a chuckle from Seungmin.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing is funny, Y-Your Highness,” Seungmin said, bowing his head when he came into Felix’s view. He fiddled a bit with his fingers before adjusting his round glasses. “I didn’t mean to laugh at you. I just… I think that what you’re doing is very admirable.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re putting your own needs and desires to the side for the best of the kingdom,” Seungmin said with a gentle smile. His brown hair almost fell in his eyes had it not been for the glasses. “I think that’s admirable.”

Felix took a deep breath and nodded to himself before smiling at Seungmin, a tightlipped and sad smile. Seungmin tilted his head a bit as he looked at Felix. Felix was quiet for a moment and he could see Seungmin beginning to fidget a bit, his fingers twitching. “Thank you Seungmin,” he finally said and Seungmin visibly relaxed.

“No problem, Your Highness,” Seungmin said.

Before any of them could say anything else, there was a knock on Felix’s door.

“Yes?” he called out just as the door opened.

Changbin stepped inside, his blond hair messy but his armor neat. Changbin’s preferred armor was just like the rest of Felix’s dragonguards, leather. But Changbin’s armor was different to the others as it didn’t cover one of his arms and he had fabric wrapped around one side, held in place by a belt. The reason why he didn’t need the sleeve of the armor presented himself as he walked closer, the pearly white scale catching the sunlight that filtered into the room.

“My prince,” he said, nodding his head. “Are you ready?”

“I am,” Felix said, straightening his back before looking towards Seungmin. “Thank you for your help, Seungmin.” Seungmin bowed his head. “You’re dismissed.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Seungmin said before hurrying out of the room.

“What did you do to him?” Changbin said, raising an eyebrow as he turned to Felix. “He looked nervous.”

“Nothing,” Felix said, brows furrowed as he looked to the door.

“Maybe he’s just nervous about everything,” Changbin said with a shrug. “I can imagine that being hired to work at the castle can be a bit nerve-racking.”

“True.” Felix paused and took a deep breath, shifting his attention from the door to Changbin. He brushed his hair to the side. “I guess there’s no way of avoiding this for much longer,” he said with a sigh.

Changbin shook his head, only offering him a small, apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, my prince,” he said, patting Felix’s arm. “I’m afraid we need to go down to the gardens.”

Felix nodded again. He was about to head towards the door when a thought struck him and he paused.

“You wouldn’t happen to know where Chan is?” he asked. Changbin pressed his lips together and something in his eyes told Felix that he knew exactly where Chan was. Felix raised an eyebrow as he waited. “I haven’t seen him since last night.”

“He said he was going to do some midday training with some of the newer knights,” Changbin said. Felix narrowed his eyes. “He originally asked Jisung to accompany you to this meeting with Prince Dongyul.”

Felix snorted. “I guess Jisung didn’t want to accompany me,” he said as he made his way towards the door, pausing as he wrapped his hand around the door handle. “I don’t blame him, based on the conversation with Prince Dongyul yesterday.”

“He told me about it,” Changbin said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “He was very keen on not going today.” He smiled, tightlipped and forced smile. Felix couldn’t help but snort. “I’d be delighted to join you for your meeting with your fiancé, my prince.”

“I’m sure you are,” Felix said as he pushed the door open.

  
  
  


The small talk with his fiancé didn’t do much but make Felix feel even more uncomfortable. It felt so incredibly forced to talk to him and Felix couldn’t do much but to try and keep the smiling facade up.

“What’s it like growing up with siblings?” he asked, trying to keep the conversation going and the silence to a minimum. He didn’t like when there was silence between him and Prince Dongyul. He felt like every time there was a moment of silence, the prince of the west was staring at him in a way that made him extremely uncomfortable.

It didn’t help much that the woman who followed the prince wherever he went also kept her eye on Felix.

“The castle was never silent,” Dongyul said with a chuckle. “I told you yesterday that there was a bit of a gap between me and my older brothers.”

“Ah, yes.”

“They took care of me and showed me the world to the best of their ability,” he continued, the thoughtful and distant look returning to his eyes as he drifted back into his memories. “It was like always having friends around, even though they were older than me.” He laughed, running a hand through his dark hair. “Sometimes I was just their snotty younger brother who was nothing but annoying and I did get my fair share of scoldings from them… But I am very lucky to have been able to grow up with a lot of siblings.”

“It sounds rather nice,” Felix said in agreement and Dongyul hummed. “You did mention a sister. A younger one, correct?”

“Correct,” Dongyul said with a smile. “She’s two years younger than me and I love her dearly. I guess I kind of took it upon myself to raise her like our brothers raised me, despite the fact that there’s not a lot of years between us.”

“That sounds very sweet,” Felix said, brushing his hair behind his ear. “Sometimes I really wish that I had siblings. It’s very lonely sometimes.” He glanced over his shoulder to Changbin who was standing behind his chair, arms crossed over his chest and his expression blank. “But I had friends, so I am not going to complain.”

“That’s good,” Dongyul said, nodding to himself. There was a brief pause and he furrowed his brows, eyes scanning Changbin. Felix’s gut tightened and he could only pray that Dongyul wasn’t going to ask something about dragons. “I heard some rumors about your dragonguards.”

“Oh?” Felix said, raising an eyebrow as Changbin let out a quiet grunt.

“Are they all orphans?” Dongyul asked, not beating around the bush the slightest. Felix furrowed his brows. The prince smiled. “On our journey here I tried to learn as much about your kingdom as possible and I learned that the dragonguards are, according to those whom I spoke to, all orphans.”

“That’s true to one extent,” Felix said with a smile. “Not all of them are orphans, nor are all orphaned dragons turned into our dragonguards.” He looked back at Changbin. “All of them have chosen this occupation and some still have their family but chose to serve.”

“Interesting.”

Felix furrowed his brows.

“You said you didn’t have a lot of dragons in the west,” he said and Dongyul hummed.

“We don’t,” he confirmed. “There are dragons, of course, but they keep mostly to themselves as we humans keep to ourselves.”

“I see,” Felix said, nodding to himself.

There was another pause and Felix twisted in his seat. He could feel the piercing gaze of Prince Dongyul’s personal guard. As he looked up he accidentally locked eyes with her and he felt a shiver run down his spine. It was like an electric current traveling through his body and he quickly averted his gaze. It was as if she could stare through his very soul.

“May I ask you a personal question, Prince Felix?” Dongyul suddenly asked and Felix’s eyes snapped to his fiancé.

“I-” He paused and cleared his throat. “I guess that is only fair,” he said, his chest heavy as he spoke. “We are to be wed, so why not get the personal questions out of the way?” he continued, adding a humorless laugh at the end. Dongyul didn’t even react to it. Felix took a deep breath, preparing for the question.

“Your mother was a fallen star, wasn’t she?”

Felix’s world stopped for a second. He had known that this would be spoken about at one point, but the mention of his mother still took him by surprise. His mouth felt dry and his throat thick. He couldn’t do anything but nod, his lips pressed together.

“What does that make you?” Dongyul continued, tilting his head as curiosity shone in his eyes. Felix took a deep breath and looked down at his fingers. He tugged nervously at the hem of his jacket, thinking of what to say and how to explain it.

“I-I guess it makes me a half-celestial,” he finally said and Dongyul nodded, eyes big and curious as he looked at Felix. “I don’t-” He ran a hand through his hair. He was getting really nervous and antsy about this and he didn’t like it. He didn’t want to talk about it. “I don’t have any special abilities, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“I’ve heard the tales about fallen stars, about celestial beings,” Dongyul explained, a bashful smile on his lips. “I was just curious if their abilities transferred to their children.”

“Not the half human children at least,” Felix said with a small smile. “I sadly don’t have the abilities my mother had. I only have the stardust,” he continued, gesturing to his cheeks before reaching up to brush his bangs away from his forehead. As he pulled his hand back, he could see the slightest dusting of silver coating his fingers.

“That’s very interesting,” Dongyul hummed. Felix only nodded. He wasn’t too sure if it was interesting or not. “I’ve never met someone who has met with a celestial so…” He trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck. “I heard that she passed away a few years ago.”

Felix’s body tensed up.

“Yes,” he whispered, lowering his head. “She got sick.”

“Do celestials get sick?” Dongyul asked. Felix tugged nervously at the hem of his shirt and bit his lip. “My apologies, my prince. That question may have been way too personal for you to answer, especially after only knowing me for a day.”

Felix shook his head. “No, no, don’t worry too much.” He forced a smile. “I just don’t know much about celestials here on earth. My mother was one, but she didn’t know anyone else who had fallen.” He licked his lips. “I get sick sometimes and she got sick, so I can only assume that celestials can get sick.”

“Still, I’m truly sorry. I should not have pried.”

Felix hummed. “As I said, we are to be wed so why not get all of this out of the way.” He paused and took a deep breath. “Beside, you should be informed about what I am, seeing as I am not entirely human and you are my fiancé. It’s only fair.”

“You’re too good for this world, Prince Felix,” Dongyul said with a small shake of his head. “I still apologize for the question. Perhaps I should have waited with it.” He smiled. “It doesn’t change who you are as a person. I firmly believe you’d be as kind even if you were fully human.”

Felix chuckled, his chest feeling a bit lighter. “Thank you, Prince Dongyul. Apology accepted.”

“Thank you, my prince.”

Felix twisted a bit in his chair again. He looked down on his hand, at the stardust that gleamed in the sunlight. His chest tightened as memories of his mother flashed before his eyes. As he stared at the silver dust, he remembered when his mother played with him; her silver hair and the stardust that always surrounded her. He shook his head, trying to get rid of the images.

“Would you,” Dongyul began, snapping Felix out of his thoughts. Dongyul smiled. “Would you like to look around the castle with me?” he asked. “I’d love to see how the preparations for tonight are coming along.”

“Of course,” Felix said, his mouth dry as he stood up. He dusted off the silver on his pants and took a deep breath. He glanced back at Changbin who gave him a small nod. When Felix turned back to Dongyul, the other prince offered his arm to Felix.

Even if Felix’s gut twisted, he stepped closer to his fiancé and hooked their arms together. With a heavy heart, he followed Dongyul back towards the castle.

  
  
  


“Changbin told me about the meeting with your fiancé,” Jisung said as he helped Felix with his clothes. His fingers fumbled with the buttons and he was nowhere near as precise as the other servants.

“Jisung,” Felix said, running a hand through his hair. “Please let Jeongin help me with the clothes. I appreciate the effort but you’re not cut out for this.”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness,” Jisung said, sticking out his tongue and Felix laughed. “Jeongin, can you please help me. I may have messed something up,” he continued, turning to the young servant who was waiting by the door, an unimpressed expression on his face.

“I told you I would do it,” Jeongin said as he walked over, picking up from where Jisung had left off. “You told me you knew what you were doing.”

“I thought I did,” Jisung said with a pout as he moved to sit down in front of Felix. “I have big fingers, I can’t do delicate things with them,” he defended, holding up both his hands to make his point. Felix only rolled his eyes, an amused smile on his lips. Jisung frowned as he looked over Felix’s shoulder at Jeongin. “Aren’t you usually in the kitchen? What are you even doing here?”

“Don’t be rude, Jisung,” Felix said and Jeongin snorted.

“Seungmin was supposed to attend the prince,” Jeongin said, shrugging as he overlooked the ruffles at the front of Felix’s white shirt. He paused for a moment, studying the ruffles before fixing them once again. “But his presence was requested elsewhere so I offered to attend to the prince. The kitchen is hell with the preparations for the celebrations.”

“My apologies, Jeongin,” Felix said, glancing back over his shoulder. Jeongin just laughed.

“Don’t apologize,” Jeongin said, shaking his head as he reached for the short cape. “It’s not like you’re responsible for this engagement,” he continued, proceeding to put on the jacket. Felix helped him, but before he could adjust the jacket himself, Jeongin swatted at his hands. “Don’t. This is my job. I need to spend as much time as possible here to avoid the kitchen.”

Felix snorted and turned his attention to Jisung. Jisung was watching the exchange with an amused expression but when Felix locked eyes with him he took a deep breath and leaned back, eyes growing serious and smile fading.

“So Prince Dongyul asked about your mother?”

Felix inhaled sharply, his body tensing up and he could see Jeongin pause in the corner of his eyes. He took a deep breath and nodded.

“He did,” he said. “I guess it was more about me and what I am, but he did mention her.”

Jisung studied his face for a long time. “Are you doing alright? I know you don’t particularly enjoy talking about her.”

“I’m alright,” Felix said, trying to assure himself more than he was trying to assure Jisung. “I expected him to ask about her anyway.” He smiled sadly to himself. “They always ask about her.”

“I know they do,” Jisung said, running a hand through his black and blond hair. “I don’t like that they ask about it though.”

“Don’t get upset for me, Jisung. I’m alright,” Felix assured but Jisung’s grim expression didn’t vanish. Felix shook his head. “I guess it makes sense. There are not a lot of celestials in this realm at all. Curiosity hasn’t hurt anyone.”

“Except you when all they do is ask about what you are rather than showing interest in you,” Jisung pointed out. “And he didn’t stop at talking about your mother, did he?”

Felix pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I’m not going to push this matter further,” Jisung said. “But I want you to know that I don’t like your fiancé. I don’t like him being here. He’s uprooting things in a way I despise.”

“I understand, Jisung,” Felix said, nodding to himself. “I don’t like it either but… If this is what I have to do to protect my people, then I’ll do it.”

“That’s very admirable of you, my prince,” Jeongin said quietly from behind Felix. He smoothened the jacket of the cape with careful hands.

“Thank you, Jeongin,” Felix said, turning to look at the servant. “Seungmin said the same thing,” he noted with a chuckle.

“He did?” Jeongin asked, tilting his head a little. “He hasn’t spoken much to the rest of the servants. I guess he’s a bit shy… maybe a bit nervous about working in the castle.”

“Changbin said something along those lines earlier today,” Felix said. “I don’t blame him for being nervous though. I guess it’s only natural when you just start working here,” he continued, looking over at Jeongin.

“Oh definitely,” Jeongin confirmed, nodding his head. “It’s absolutely nerve-racking.”

“I hope you’ve settled in comfortably though,” Felix said, placing his hand on Jeongin’s shoulder.

“I have, my prince.”

“Good,” Felix said. “I’m glad.”

Before Felix could say anything else, there was a knock on the door and Felix immediately pulled his hand away from Jeongin’s shoulder and straightened his back.

“You may enter,” he called out, proceeding to hold his breath as the door was pushed open.

“My prince,” Chan said with a soft smile as he closed the door behind him. He was wearing his black leather armor, a dark purple jacket over it and the imitation scales shoulder pads seemed to have been painted with a thin layer of silver as they caught the light of the candles.

“Chan,” Felix said, unable to hold the wide smile off his face. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I was thinking of accompanying you to your engagement party,” Chan said, his voice a bit strained. Felix looked between Jisung and Chan. “Seeing as I am supposed to be your personal guard.”

“I thought you assigned Jisung to be my babysitter for the night,” Felix said, raising an eyebrow as he crossed his arms across his chest. “That’s what Jisung said at least.”

“Well,” Chan said with a shrug. “I’m here now to attend to your every need, my prince,” he said, adding an exaggerated bow. Felix rolled his eyes.

“You two are ridiculous,” Jisung announced, breaking the eye contact between Felix and Chan as he stood up. “I’m going to leave.” He looked past Felix, to Jeongin and gave the younger servant a nod. “Jeongin would you mind helping me with something?” he asked, gesturing for Jeongin to follow him.

Felix and Chan just watched as the two of them left the room, closing the door behind them with a quiet click. Felix turned back to Chan who did the same. They were quiet for a moment, just studying each other.

Chan cleared his throat. “You look…” He licked his lips. “You look good.”

“Thank you,” Felix said, his ears beginning to heat up and he averted his gaze. “You look good too. But you always look good.”

Chan laughed, a genuine and warm laughter that made Felix’s heart stutter in his chest.

“How was the afternoon with your fiancé?” Chan asked, the smile fading from his lips and he looked serious.

“He asked about my mother,” Felix said, averting his gaze. “Asked if I was a celestial and what it meant.” He could hear Chan inhale sharply. “I don’t think he meant any harm by it but… I can’t say I enjoyed that.”

“He shouldn’t have asked,” Chan said between gritted teeth. Felix sighed and took a step closer to Chan. He reached out to take Chan’s hand. “I’m getting angry for you… I’m sorry,” Chan said, his anger quickly vanishing and he averted his gaze.

“It’s okay,” Felix said, placing a hand on Chan’s jaw, gently tilting his head up to make Chan look at him. “I was quite upset when… when he asked about her death,” he whispered. Chan inhaled sharply. “Don’t get too angry. Jisung has already been upset about it…” He trailed off, a small smile tugging on his lips. “I just… I don’t think he knows a lot about this kingdom. He asks a lot of questions that I think he could easily find out by himself.”

“Maybe he just wants to hear it from you?” Chan said with a shrug. Felix could tell that he was trying to sound unbothered, but the strain in his voice was clear. “I’m not saying that asking about your mother’s passing was the right thing to do but…” He licked his lips. “Maybe there were some things he just wanted to hear from you, his fiancé, rather than listening to rumors or what not?”

“Maybe,” Felix mused, pulling his hand back from Chan’s face. When he glanced back at Chan he couldn’t help the smile that stretched on his lips. “I got stardust on your cheek,” he whispered and Chan chuckled, bringing up a hand to wipe his cheek. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” Chan said as he attempted to get all the stardust away from his skin. When he let his hand drop, some of the dust still lingered and gleamed in the soft light of the candles. Felix decided to not mention it. Chan took a deep breath. “Should we go to the ballroom?” he asked, his previously happy expression growing a bit more somber as his eyes flickered between Felix and the door.

Felix pressed his lips together and nodded. “I guess there’s no use in trying to avoid it,” he sighed, brushing his fingers over his hair again to make sure it wasn’t messy.

“Sadly no,” Chan said, reaching for the door handle. “I’d be a gentleman and offer you my arm, but I doubt your father will be happy if you show up with a simple dragonguard like that,” he said, his voice teasing but there was something else in there.

“I’m afraid you’re right,” Felix said, taking a deep breath and he straightened his back. Chan opened the door and held it open for Felix.

Neither of them spoke as they made their way towards the ballroom.

  
  
  
  


Felix was never one for balls or big celebrations. Neither had his mother been, but after her death his father had been more keen to bring Felix with him to various balls in order to introduce him to possible suitors.

Not that Felix needed a suitor right now. But he didn’t enjoy parties at all and he wanted to be anywhere else but his own engagement party.

On an elevated platform was a throne and his father was sitting there, overlooking the room as he kept conversation with the members of the council and influential nobles.

He stared out over the crowd, taking a deep breath as he tried to keep his shoulders from slumping. There was a few glances thrown his way every now and then but he felt thankful that only a handful of nobles had approached him so far. He wasn’t in the mood to talk.

“Excuse me, Your Highness,” Seungmin said and Felix turned his head to look at the servant. He was looking just as nervous he had been the other day, his eyes flickering around and he reached up to adjust his glasses. He was holding a tray with glasses. “Would you like anything to drink?” he asked, eyes shifting between Felix and the glasses.

“Thank you, Seungmin,” Felix said, mustering a small smile as he took a glass from the tray. “I hope you’re having a good time here.”

“It’s the first big celebration I’m present at,” Seungmin said with a smile. “It’s very exciting but a bit stressful.”

“I’m sorry for that,” Felix said, taking a sip of the wine. He grimaced when the bitter taste hit his tongue. “Hopefully it won’t be as stressful for you after this.”

“That’s alright,” Seungmin murmured, nodding his head. “I have to learn how things work here somehow.” He glanced around the large room again, offering Felix an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, Your Highness, I should… I need to get back to work.”

“Don’t apologize,” Felix said, waving his hand dismissively and Seungmin visibly relaxed. “I shouldn’t keep you from your job.” Seungmin took a step back but before he could fully turn away, Felix raised a hand to stop him. He froze in place, eyes wide. “Thank you for your hard work, Seungmin.”

Seungmin’s face bloomed into a wide smile. “You’re very welcome, my prince,” he said with a nod and he turned around.

Felix took a deep breath and looked over the crowd again. He took a sip of his wine, trying his best not to grimace this time around. As he laid his eyes upon the clock and realized just how much longer he had to be present, he sighed.

“You should relax a bit,” Chan said, appearing out of nowhere. Felix rolled his eyes and turned to the dragonguard. “You do look really tense.”

“You just left me alone and now you’re telling me to relax,” Felix said, shaking his head. Chan grinned, a sly and playful grin. Felix couldn’t help but return the smile. “I don’t want to be here,” he said and Chan hummed.

“I know you don’t,” Chan said, taking a step forward to stand beside Felix. He too looked over the crowd, his gaze unfocused for a moment but then he seemed to focus on someone. His brows twitched and Felix furrowed his brows in confusion, turning his head to follow Chan’s line of sight.

His gaze landed on Dongyul. His fiancé was making his way through the crowd, stopping every now and then to exchange a few words with some curious noblemen. But his attention seemed focused on Felix and Felix didn’t like that at all.

“Guess your fiancé is about to ask you for a dance,” Chan said, leaning his head a bit closer to Felix but he never took his eyes off Dongyul. At Felix’s exaggerated sigh, he chuckled. “Careful, my prince, your excitement is threatening to burst out of your chest.”

“Ha-ha, very funny,” Felix said, rolling his eyes. “I’d rather dance with you,” he said, shoulders slumping as he exhaled.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Chan said with a laugh. “I’d dance with you, my prince, but I don’t think that’s appropriate right now.”

“You’re right,” Felix said, running a hand through his hair. “Guess I’ll just have to bite my tongue.”

Chan shrugged. “There’s still the option of running away with me.”

“Not going to lie, I’ll consider it,” Felix said, forcing a wide smile when Dongyul reached him. “Prince Dongyul,” he greeted, handing over his glass of wine to Chan.

“Prince Felix,” Dongyul said, taking Felix’s hand to press a kiss on his knuckles. Felix’s eye twitched. “Would you do me the honor and dance with me?”

“Yes,” Felix replied, hoping his words wouldn’t sound too strained.

He took a deep breath and glanced back at Chan before he let himself be pulled out into the middle of the dance floor. As he scanned the crowd, his eyes eventually landed on his father and his stomach twisted with how pleased his father looked. He could feel tears beginning to sting in his eyes but he rapidly blinked, trying to get rid of them before Dongyul could see.

“You alright?” Dongyul asked as he placed a hand on Felix’s waist. Felix wanted to move away from the touch but he forced himself to stay. He took a shuddering breath and nodded.

“I’m a bit overwhelmed but I’m alright,” he whispered and Dongyul hummed, slowly starting to move along with the music.

“Just tell me if it’s too much and we can leave for a little,” he said. Felix nodded. “We could take some fresh air after this.”

“I’d like that,” Felix said.

They fell silent, focusing on the music around them and Felix tried to not let his focus slip. The gaze of others were burning at him, but he didn’t let that distract him from the steps. He had learned to dance for a reason, he was not about to stumble and fall on his face on his actual engagement celebrations.

He didn’t think much about who he was dancing with, he was trying to ignore that. It was difficult and it felt foreign. Dongyul was a stranger and Felix felt like he had no idea how Dongyul moved. He had no way of synchronizing with Dongyul.

At last the music began to fade out and Felix felt like he could breathe again.

Dongyul was smiling at him, still holding onto his hand and Felix smiled. His heart was pounding in his chest and his hands were growing sweaty. He glanced around the room, eyes flickering nervously.

“Do you want to go outside?” Dongyul asked, leaning a bit closer to be able to whisper to Felix. Felix nodded, licking his lips nervously.

Still holding onto Felix’s hand, Dongyul began to lead him towards the doors that led to the balcony. He could see Chan on the side, making his way towards Felix but Felix raised his hand and shook his head. He could be alone with Dongyul for a little bit.

Chan’s face hardened and he stopped in his tracks, nodding as he clenched his jaw. Felix didn’t take his eyes off him until they were outside.

As they stepped outside, it felt like Felix could breathe again. He didn't feel like he was being crushed under the judging gazes of others. He took a deep breath as he walked over the marbled floor with light steps. When he reached the railing, he placed his hands against the cold stone. He couldn't help but look towards the clear sky, eyes wandering across the constellations. His heart clenched a bit as he remembered who he was on the balcony. Oh how he wished to be here with someone else. For a brief second he wondered what things would have been like, had he been engaged to someone else. The late summer breeze was cold as it blew past and Felix followed it with his gaze, watching as some of the stardust from his hair was carried away.

“Has anyone told you that your freckles are beautiful?” Dongyul asked, breaking Felix's train of thought.

“Some have,” he finally replied, turning back to face Dongyul. Behind his fiancé, Felix could see the giant glass wall and on the other side, he could see the smiles and laughters of people. Candles burned bright and suddenly the outside felt cold.

Felix’s attention snapped back to Dongyul as the other took a step closer. That was when Felix realized his mistake. He was standing just by the marble railing of the balcony with quite the fall below. He was trapped. He took a deep breath as Dongyul stopped in front of him.

“Is all the glitter stardust?” Dongyul wondered, his words so quiet they were almost just a breeze in the night air. He reached out to brush his thumb over Felix’s cheek, pulling back with a thin layer of stardust on his hands.

“I-it is,” Felix stuttered. His heart was pounding in his chest. He cursed himself for agreeing to this. He should have brought Chan with him.

“It’s very pretty,” Dongyul mused as he looked at his hand. Then his dark eyes snapped back to Felix. He was silent for a moment, only placing his hand on Felix’s cheek. Felix didn’t dare to move.

Before Felix could react, Dongyul pressed his lips against Felix’s.

Felix’s body froze and he widened his eyes. He wanted nothing but to push Dongyul away from him but he couldn’t move. He just stood there as Dongyul kissed him, unable to do anything to stop it.

When Dongyul finally pulled back, Felix felt like he could breathe again.

“You’re such a nice person, Felix,” Dongyul said, stroking his thumb over Felix’s cheekbone. Felix didn’t like him saying his name. It felt wrong. “I know I’m just a stranger to you and I can tell that you’re not comfortable around me. But you still decided to go ahead and marry me.” He smiled to himself and for a second, Felix thought that he was going to lean in to kiss him again. But Dongyul just continued to brush the pad of his thumb across Felix’s cheekbone, his skin slowly getting covered in more and more stardust. “It’s a pity…”

What?

“What is?” Felix asked when he finally found his voice again.

Dongyul shook his head, taking a short step away from Felix. The feeling that was settling in Felix’s gut was not a good one.

“What is a pity?” he asked again, his tone firm and he narrowed his eyes.

“It’s a pity that it had to be you,” Dongyul said, running a hand through his hair.

Felix opened his mouth to speak, but his eyes widened as something dark gleamed in Dongyul’s hand.

The wind was knocked out of his lungs as Dongyul hit his chest, and it was followed by searing hot pain. Once again his body locked up and his knees buckled under his weight. It felt like poison was spreading through his body, beginning from his chest and reaching out through his veins.

The inside of the castle went dark. Just like that. It was as if someone has just blown out a candle.

Black spots were beginning to cloud his vision as he laid there on the stone floor of the balcony. He was gasping for air, trying his best to keep breathing even if the pressure on his chest was making it difficult.

The last thing he saw before blacking out was Dongyul walking towards him, his footfalls heavy against the stone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may scream at me about Dongyul. It's okay, I hate that guy too
> 
> but !! thank you all so much for reading ;w; i hope you liked it!
> 
> You can find me on @ pinkpunchmango on twt where i talk about this au, shares teasers and just yells about life in general <3 You can also find art of the characters on Nad's twitter @abowlofberry !


	3. The cruel consume the just

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Oh little star, give me all that is yours._

Felix awoke with a startle. He gasped for air as if he had just broken the surface of a lake. His mind was spinning and he didn’t know where he was. He attempted to sit up but was held back. Confused he looked to his wrists, only to see that he was tied to the table. His body hurt and his head pounded.

His brain felt scrambled and he couldn’t discern where he was or remember what had just happened. He laid there, breathing quick and gasping as he stared up into the ceiling. The world was swimming in front of his eyes but soon the very familiar artwork in the ceiling began to take shape. Painted in silver on the marble ceiling was the story of the fallen star.

He was in his father’s study.

As he willed himself to lift his head and look around, his heart dropped. Everything was turned over and rearranged. A fire was crackling from the fireplace, casting a warm light across the room. The table he was tied to had been carried into the room. His father’s desk had been tipped over and papers laid strewn all over the floor. Outside the large window, the world was dark and it seemed like the clouds had rolled in, obscuring all the stars.

Felix turned his attention back to the room. Right now he was alone.

He tugged at his wrist cuffs again, but they wouldn’t budge. Panic was creeping up on him and he tried his best to not let panic take over. He kept breathing; in and out; in and out. Why was he here? Why was he tied to the table? What was happening and where were everyone?

Before he could call out for help, the door to the study opened. Felix lifted his head, eyes wide and dread sinking in his gut as Dongyul walked inside.

“You,” Felix breathed, his stomach twisting when Dongyul grinned. Behind him was the woman, his personal guard. She looked just as pleased as Dongyul as she looked at Felix. Felix’s eyes flickered between the two of them as he tried to process everything. At the sight of Dongyul, there was a flare of pain in Felix’s chest, right where Dongyul had struck him. “Why?”

“You see, little prince,” the woman said, stepping closer to the table. “You have something me and Dongyul are in desperate need of. We would have sent someone for it but honestly, getting into the castle and getting close enough to get you alone would have been very difficult. Luckily for us, your father was looking for a suitor for you.”

“Prince Felix,” Dongyul began, taunting tone and smug grin on his face. “This is Eunkyung. I made a deal with her and for that deal to be fulfilled, I’m afraid there are some sacrifices needed on your part.”

“What does that even mean?” Felix asked, struggling against the cuffs again. Tears were welling up and blurring his vision. He paused, his breathing heavy as he stared at Dongyul. “What do I have that you so desperately need?” His voice was wavering and he could feel his chest tightening. “Please, I-I’ll help you get it. Whatever it is.”

“I’m afraid it’s not that simple,” Eunkyung said as she reached the table.

She studied Felix’s face for a moment, reaching out her hand to brush her fingers over Felix’s ear. Her nails were sharp, looking more like sharp claws than nails and the skin around the finger tips had turned a bright white. When she pulled her hand back, Felix could see the stardust on her fingers. She rubbed it in her hands, seemingly engrossed by it.

“W-what do you need?” Felix stuttered, afraid of what the answer would be.

Eunkyung clicked her tongue and leaned down to press her ear against Felix’s chest. Felix’s eyes widened when the realization settled in.

“I’m afraid I need your heart, love,” she said, tapping on Felix’s chest. Felix’s breath hitched at her words and he just stared at her, unable to form a sentence. His voice was caught in his throat and he struggled to even breathe.

“I’m terribly sorry for this, my prince,” Dongyul said, reaching out to brush some of Felix’s hair away from Felix’s face. “As I said, it’s a pity.”

“C-can’t we solve this in some other way?” Felix whispered, not daring to raise his voice further. “Please don’t kill me.”

“I’m sorry, Prince Felix,” Eunkyung said, shaking her head as she feigned sadness. Then something gleamed in her eyes and she carefully began to unbutton the few top buttons of Felix’s shirt. Felix’s breathing sped up and his heart leapt in his chest as she pressed a hand against his chest, just where the dull ache was coming from. “But before anything, let’s have some fun with this,” she continued, patting Felix’s chest.

When she pulled back Felix turned his attention to his chest as he tried to figure out what she meant. He couldn’t help the whimper that bubbled past his lips as he saw his chest.

In the middle of his chest was a dark spot, the size of his fist and it looked like ink under his skin was slowly reaching out like twisted vines through his veins. As he stared at it, it pulsed with that dull pain he had been feeling ever since Dongyul had stepped into the room.

“What is that?” he asked, not taking his eyes off the mark.

“This, my little prince,” Eunkyung said, pausing for a second as she pulled out a ring of keys. She began to unlock the cuffs around Felix’s wrists. “This is my own little…” She trailed off, pretending to think. “You could call it a curse.”

“W-what?”

“Sit up.”

Without Felix’s permission, his body moved. He sat up on the table, eyes wide as he stared at Eunkyung. He turned to look at his hands and he flexed his fingers. They responded to the signal. He took a breath, turning back to the woman.

“What are you?” he asked, his voice trembling. Maybe he didn’t want to know the answer.

Eunkyung shrugged. “Some call me witch. Some call me a mage. Some call me a demon,” she said, a grin stretching on her lips and Felix really didn’t like this. “I’m here and I do deals with people in need. I help them, they help me.”

Felix could only nod, his mouth so dry he couldn’t speak.

“Stand up,” Eunkyung said and Felix’s body did as told. He tried to resist it but his muscles moved on their own and refused to listen to him. “This is working even better than I would have hoped,” she said, glee in her voice. Felix had to blink the tears out of his eyes. “Oh, don’t cry, little one,” she continued, reaching out to dry the tears off his cheeks with cold hands.

“Please don’t kill me,” Felix whispered, choking on a sob.

Eunkyung studied his face, tilting her head as she looked him over. She was observing him like a predator would look at a prey. As she did, Felix could have sworn that he saw her pupils slim down into snake like slits.

“Eunkyung, we shouldn’t play around too much,” Dongyul said from behind her. She hummed but didn’t take her eyes off Felix. “My army will be able to hold off theirs for a while, but not too long. We should kill him now.”

“Patience,” Eunkyung said, brushing her blonde hair behind her ear as she straightened her back. She smiled at Felix, taking her eyes off him to look at Dongyul. The two of them shared a glance. “Maybe you should bring him in. Let’s try this little curse before we really kill him.”

Felix’s heart was hammering in his chest as he stared at them. He watched Dongyul motion for the two guards by the door. They left the room, leaving behind a deafening silence. In the silence, Felix couldn’t help the sobs. He was so scared. He didn’t want to be here. He wanted to go back in time. Just to right before he walked out of the ballroom with Dongyul. If only Chan had joined them on the balcony.

Chan.

His eyes widened. Where was Chan? What had happened to the guards? Were they okay?

The door opened again and Felix’s train of thought was broken. Into the room walked a few more guards, pushing a terrified Seungmin in front of them. His hands were violently trembling as he adjusted his glasses and he kept glancing around the room, his eyes wide.

“Y-Your Highness!” he called out as soon as he spotted Felix in the room. The guard behind him growled something and pushed at his shoulder.

“Seungmin,” Felix said as Seungmin was led to stand behind him. “What’s happening? Where are the others?”

“I don’t know,” Seungmin said, lowering his voice and he leaned a bit closer to Felix. Dongyul and Eunkyung didn’t seem to pay them much attention right now, instead mumbling amongst themselves. Felix turned his head a bit to look at Seungmin. “The ballroom went dark and then suddenly we were all surrounded. The dragonguards took off, even if these guards attempted to catch them.”

“Are they okay?”

“So far we’re all okay,” Seungmin said, licking his lips nervously. “We saw you being taken away and…” He trailed off, eyes flickering around as he leaned even closer. “Jeongin managed to get away.”

“Good,” Felix said, taking a deep breath. It made him feel much better to know that everyone were safe.

“He’s in the secret tunnels, the ones that leads to the fountain in the middle of town,” Seungmin whispered, eyes looking around the room again. “We’re going to get you out.”

Felix’s heart stuttered.

“Felix,” Eunkyung said, cutting their conversation short, and Felix’s body involuntarily tensed up. He looked at the witch, dread coiling in his gut. He didn’t know what she would request of him but something in her eyes told him that it was not good. “We have another person who would like to see you, and I think you’d like to see him before you die.”

The door opened again and two more guards entered the room. Between them was Felix’s father, struggling in his bounds. Felix’s gut sank as he locked eyes with his father.

“Felix!” his father called, desperation so clear in his voice and he turned to stare at Dongyul and Eunkyung. “Don’t you dare hurt him!” he hissed.

“Oh, my king,” Eunkyung cooed as Felix’s father was forced to sit down in a chair. She walked up to Felix and grabbed his chin, a grin stretching on her lips as she looked at his father. “I shouldn’t worry too much about your dear son right now.”

“What do you mean?” his father demanded, his hands now shackled to the chair. His eyes were wide and filled with terror as he looked between her and Felix. “What have you done to him?”

“Oh nothing big,” Eunkyung said with a nonchalant wave of her hand. She took her attention off the king for a moment to pull out a dagger. It was an ornate one, with silver handle encrusted with blue gems. The blade was polished and reflected all the candle light around the room. She studied the blade for a moment before pushing it into Felix’s hands. “Why don’t you get rid of your father for me,” she said.

Felix’s heart dropped, dread washing over him like a tidal wave as his body began to move on its own.

“Please don’t do this,” he begged, trying to stop himself but to no avail. He tried to look back at Eunkyung. “Please, stop. I’ll do anything.”

“I know you will,” Eunkyung said with a wide smile. “I control your every action little prince. You’ll do anything I’ll ask of you.”

“Felix,” his father said when Felix stopped in front of him. His eyes flickered between Eunkyung and Felix. “Felix don’t do this. Don’t listen to her.”

“I can’t do anything, father,” Felix whispered, raising the blade. His hands were trembling as he strained against his own body. He couldn’t control anything. He tried. But nothing happened. “I can’t do anything,” he repeated, pushing the blade against his father’s chest. Tears were rolling down Felix’s cheeks. “Please stop!” he yelled for Eunkyung.

His body paused for just a second as he regained control over one hand. He grabbed the handle of the dagger in an attempt to pull it away from his father. But the moment he grabbed onto it, the control vanished. His whole body felt numb and he could only watch as he began to push the blade against his father’s chest.

“I’m so sorry, father,” he sobbed. “I don’t- I can’t-” He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t breathe. “I’m sorry.”

He could see crimson starting to stain the white, silver embroidered jacket his father was wearing. His father was crying too, not taking his eyes off Felix.

“I’m so sorry, Felix,” his father whispered. “For everything I’ve done to you.”

Felix’s couldn’t speak. His chest was tight and his whole body trembling with sobs. He struggled to just breathe.

“Stop.”

Felix’s body halted, his muscles relaxing and he pulled back the dagger. His father grimaced but Felix felt like he could breathe again. His father was alive.

“As much fun it would be for you to kill your father, I think we’ll save that for later,” Eunkyung said, waving her hand dismissively to the guards. “The absolute terror in your eyes, my king…” She snickered. “Absolutely delightful.”

“You’re a terrible being,” Felix’s father hissed through the pain as the guards undid the shackles.

“I’ve heard worse,” Eunkyung said, rolling her eyes before she turned to the guards. “Bring him away to the prison. I’ll deal with him later.”

“Felix!” his father called, his voice strained. Felix blinked through the tears, his chest so impossibly tight as he saw the red blood still staining his father’s clothes. His father locked eyes with him and in that moment, Felix saw the man that had raised him. “I love you,” he whispered weakly before he was pulled away.

Felix’s breath hitched and he struggled to breathe. Tears were still rolling down his cheeks and he reached up to wipe them off his cheeks. It seemed like he could still control his own body as long as he didn’t have a set task.

“We should hurry,” Dongyul said, eyes flickering around the room. “I don’t like how long this takes. Those disgusting dragons are loyal to him,” he gestured to Felix, “and I’m not going to be surprised if they show up here soon.”

“Patience, my young prince,” Eunkyung said. “Why don’t you sit down, Felix,” she said, gesturing to the chair Felix’s father had been sitting in.

Felix’s body did just as told.

“You, servant,” Dongyul barked, causing Seungmin to startle in surprise.

“Yes, Prince Dongyul?” he replied dutifully and a grin stretched on Dongyul’s lips. Felix could tell that Dongyul reveled in this sort of power and it made him sick to the stomach. 

“Get my fiancé some water,” he said, eyes flickering to Felix just to make sure that he had heard him. Felix gritted his teeth, his hands balling up into fists. He could move, but he didn’t dare to stand up, afraid of what Eunkyung might do to him. “He looks like he needs it.”

“I hate you,” Felix hissed.

“Oh darling,” Dongyul said, placing a hand on Felix’s chin to tilt his head upwards. The hatred seared within Felix as he stared at the other prince. “Don’t be like that.” He wiped some of Felix’s tears off his cheek, the soft stardust covering his hand as he pulled back. He observed the glitter on his hand for a moment before looking back at Felix. “I told you it was a pity that it had to be you.” He sighed theatrically. “I didn’t think much from the beginning but it really is a pity that someone so kind would have to suffer for this, but sadly there’s nothing I can do.”

“Just don’t do this,” Felix said. He wanted to snap at Dongyul, but his words came out as a soft plea instead. “Please.”

Something genuinely sad seemed to flash in Dongyul’s eyes and he sighed, shaking his head. “You, if anyone, should know better than to break promises,” he said and pulled back from Felix just as Seungmin returned with water.

Without a word, Dongyul turned around and walked over to Eunkyung. Felix observed them for a while as Seungmin held out a glass of water for him.

“Chan and the others should be here at any moment now,” Seungmin said as Felix took the glass from him. Felix’s eyes widened and his stomach churned. His heart did a small, hopeful leap for a second but then dread washed over him. What would Eunkyung do to do the dragonguards? Maybe it was too dangerous.

Felix stared at Eunkyung and Dongyul as they spoke before taking a sip of water. It tasted like ash in his mouth.

“When they arrive, you need to leave immediately,” Seungmin continued and Felix hummed, not looking at him in the hopes of appearing innocent to the onlookers. “They’re not here to fight and free you, they’re here as a distraction.”

“I see.” Felix licked his lips. “What if Eunkyung-”

“If you can’t hear her, the spell isn’t going to have an effect on you,” Seungmin said, his eyes flickering around nervously as he leaned a bit closer. “I tried my best to clear the path to the secret tunnels,” he continued and now Felix took his eyes off Eunkyung and Dongyul to look towards the wall with all the paintings. His eyes quickly found the painting.

It was a painting of his mother, the frame large and behind it was the path down into the tunnels. Some furniture laid trashed in front of it but the path to it was mostly clear. Felix blinked, feeling tears well up again as he looked at the painting. His mother was smiling softly, her silver hair pulled back in ornate braids and wearing a deep purple dress with silver details. In her lap was a young Felix, around the age of five. He was wearing white, the details on his clothes silver and purple, and he was grinning widely.

It made Felix’s heart ache.

“I need you to focus, Felix,” Seungmin said, snapping Felix out of his daze. Felix locked eyes with the servant and for a second, he was taken aback. The look in Seungmin’s eyes were cold and determined, but only for a split second. It softened and he looked around the room again, fiddling with his fingers. “I’m sorry, my prince,” he whispered.

“Don’t be,” Felix said, shaking his head.

“Just be ready to run,” Seungmin said and Felix nodded. “At any moment now.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll catch up,” Seungmin said. Felix’s stomach churned and his heart dropped. “Someone needs to close the door behind you and keep the guards from following you.”

“Seungmin-”

“Let me do this for you, Felix,” Seungmin said, once again locking eyes with Felix but this time his eyes were soft and almost pleading. “I will get out of here. I promise.” Felix swallowed hard. “No matter what happens, I will get out of here and catch up. But don’t stop running. Don’t stay and wait for me. You’ll be killed if you wait for me.”

Something didn’t feel right about this but Felix nodded anyway.

“Prince Felix,” Eunkyung said and Felix jumped in surprise, straightening his back. He stared at her as she walked across the room again, smashes pieces of glass crunching under her feet. “It has been an honor to meet you,” she began and Felix’s heart stuttered when he caught the glimmer of a blade. “It’s a pity we have to cut it short.”

She raised the blade and Felix’s heart was racing in his chest. He closed his eyes and waited for it to end. He waited for the pain.

But nothing came.

Instead, a loud roar caused the windows to the study rattled by the sheer force before they splintered into millions of pieces. The floor shook as the large, dark gray dragon landed. It was almost too big for the room. It let out another roar, the smoke coming from its within filling up the room and the smell of sulfur began to grow strong.

Felix wanted to cry out in relief.

Chan was finally here.

Another roar echoed and another set of clawed feet grabbed onto the hole in the castle wall. The white dragon peered inside, red eyes flickering around.

Both dragons let out a roar and the guards in the room scrambled to try and attack them. Chan, who was almost fully inside the room, trashed around in an attempt to bring attention to himself. His tail swung around as he moved, hitting the broken wall and the stone crumbled, falling down from the tower.

For a brief second, they locked eyes and Felix felt another wave of tears roll down his cheeks. He felt so relieved.

“FELIX!” Seungmin screamed, snapping him out of his daze. “RUN!”

Felix swallowed hard, immediately turning around to head for the painting. Behind him he could hear Eunkyung screech and he waited to hear her ordering him what to do. But before she could scream, Seungmin pushed a large vase over and the shattering of the ceramic was deafening, drowning out her voice.

Felix opened the secret pathway behind the painting and he glanced over his shoulder. He could see Seungmin stand over a crushed vase, looking towards Felix.

“GO!” he yelled and Felix slammed the door shut behind him, turning towards the dark tunnel.

And he ran.

  
  
  
  
  


His heart was hammering in his chest and he could barely see anything through the tears as he ran. He just ran, trusting himself to know the way.

Felix knew the secret tunnels like the back of his hand. He and Chan had played here when they were younger. Felix knew every nook, every twist and turn. They were supposed to work as a way for the royal family to get out in case of an emergency.

An emergency like this.

The tunnels were damp, cold and dirty, and while Felix was wearing mostly white he didn’t care much. He just ran as fast as he could, his heavy breathing echoing down the seemingly endless, dark hole.

He would soon reach a Y crossing where he needed to turn right if he wanted to get to the fountain and the forest. If he took left, he would end up by the stables and the large fields.

As he ran, his mind was racing. Too many things went through his mind and he felt dizzy. He didn’t know if anyone was behind him. All he knew was that he needed to find Jeongin and they needed to get away from the castle.

Maybe the forest was the best choice. It would be harder to track them through the dense forest. In the forest they would have more time to think of a plan.

He turned to the right.

In his hurry, trying his best to wrap his mind around everything that had just happened, Felix didn’t notice the flickering of a lantern ahead of him and he ran straight into Jeongin. Jeongin let out a surprised yelp as they tumbled to the ground. Felix felt fear and panic spike in his chest for a brief second before he realized who it was, and relief washed over him once more.

“My prince!” Jeongin said, shooting up on his feet.

“Jeongin!” Felix breathed as Jeongin helped him back up. “We need to get out of here- They- Dongyul- There’s a witch and-” He looked back over his shoulder. “Seungmin-“

“Seungmin told us to just get away and we-” Jeongin paused, licking his lips as he looked back from where Felix had come. “We’ll talk later. We should go.”

Felix nodded.

Jeongin took his hand and the two of them continued down the tunnel. Jeongin had been at the castle since he was a child and being the son to a trusted servant, he had been shown the tunnels and he knew them just as well as Felix.

Neither of them said anything, they just ran in the hope that no one was following them.

Soon enough, they reached the door that would lead them out into the night. Jeongin let go of Felix’s hand, pushing the door open just a little to peer outside.

“The coast is clear,” he whispered, eyes lingering on the outside for a brief moment before he turned to Felix. “We run for the forest and then we continue deeper. We need to get as far away as possible.”

“But Chan-”

“-is going to meet up with us in a clearing,” Jeongin assured him. “We had a brief moment to plan an escape. The dragonguards know where to find us.”

Felix nodded, his mind still spinning and he allowed Jeongin to pull him along.

The plaza where the fountain was located was empty, almost ghostly so as they ran across it. There were no guards around, no fires lit on the wall around the castle. The only light was the moon that occasionally peeked through the clouds. As Felix turned towards the castle, his eyes landed on the tower where his father’s study was. He could see the lean, red dragon circle the tower, the white one still clinging to the stone wall and the tail of the gray one barely visible.

“Felix!” Jeongin hissed, snapping Felix out of his own thoughts. “I need you to focus for a bit longer.”

“I-I- Yes,” Felix said, shaking his head in an attempt to clear his mind. It didn’t work but he continued to follow Jeongin. His heart felt a bit more at peace as they entered the forest. They were a bit more hidden, obscured from prying eyes and protected for a little bit.

They didn’t stop until they reached a small, barely noticeable clearing. When they stopped, Felix felt as if he just deflated. He leaned against the closest tree and sank to the soft, mossy forest floor. His breathing was heavy but it still felt as if he couldn’t breathe properly. His chest was tight and it hurt. He pressed his hand against his chest.

“Are you okay, my prince?” Jeongin asked as he sank down on his knees beside Felix. “I didn’t manage to take a lot with me but I have some healing supplies, should you need it,” he rambled but Felix shook his head, raising a hand. Jeongin exhaled loudly, shoulders slumping and he studied Felix. “What happened in the tower?”

Felix opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a soft sob. As soon as it passed his lips, it was as if the dam burst. He hid his face in his hands, letting everything he had tried to hold inside out.

Jeongin didn’t say anything, he just moved to sit beside Felix with his back pressed against the tree and he placed a hand on Felix’s thigh.

Every time he attempted to speak, his words came out stuttering and jumbled, and after a while, Felix stopped trying. He just cried it all out, prayed that Chan and the other’s would join him and Jeongin soon.

When he had calmed down, Felix leaned his head on Jeongin’s shoulder. He didn’t say anything, nor did Jeongin. They just sat there in silence and took comfort in the fact that they both made it away from the castle in one piece. Felix dried the tears off his cheeks, his hands coming back covered in stardust and his heart clenched.

This was why everything happened. Because of him. Because of who he was. People were getting hurt because of him and Felix just wanted to put an end to it all.

There was a rustle in the forest, coming from the direction of the castle, and Jeongin sprung to his feet, his eyes wide. Felix stood up, his movements slower than Jeongin’s as his legs felt like they were made of jelly. But he gritted his teeth and stood up, balancing himself with the help of the tree. He held his breath as they waited to see who had followed them.

“Felix!” Jisung called as he, Chan and Changbin stepped into the clearing.

They were alright. They were all alright.

“You’re- You’re okay,” Felix breathed, his heart fluttering in his chest and his vision blurring with even more tears. He didn’t have much left to cry and his eyes were stinging. He let out a sob and took a step towards them, letting go of the tree.

As he did, his knees buckled under his weight and he stumbled. But before he could fall, he was caught and Chan helped him to stand up again. He looked worried, his eyebrows furrowed and eyes scanning Felix from head to toe to make sure he was alright.

“Chan,” Felix breathed, taking Chan’s face in his hands. “You’re okay,” he continued, his voice thick as he spoke. He studied Chan’s face, taking note of the small cut across his eyebrow.

“I am,” Chan said, taking Felix’s face in his hands and he rested his forehead against Felix’s. “Are you okay?”

Was he okay? At the question, Felix felt everything once again threaten to overwhelm him and he whimpered.

“Felix?” Worry laced Chan’s tone. Felix hated when Chan was worried.

“Th-there was a witch,” Felix began, his voice so quiet he wasn’t sure anyone but Chan could hear him. “Dongyul,” at the mention of the name, a growl rumbled in Chan’s chest, “h-he had made a deal with a witch. She was giving him power or something.” Felix swallowed hard, breath shuddering as he exhaled. “For that they… they needed the heart of a star.”

Chan’s breath hitched and he pulled back, straightening his back to look at Felix.

“The heart of a star?”

Felix nodded.

“Why?”

“I don’t know,” he whispered, taking another shaky breath. “The witch she... She did something to me.”

Chan’s eyes darkened. “What did she do to you, Felix?”

“I think it’s a curse,” Felix said, his words barely audible as he pulled back his hands from Chan’s face. He looked down on his shirt, still open from when Eunkyung had unbuttoned it and he tugged it to the side, displaying the inky black mark. It made him sick to the stomach to see. His hands were trembling violently and he looked back up at Chan. “I-”

By now, the other three had paused as well and they just stared at Felix.

“What… what happened?” Chan asked. He looked terrified, eyes not leaving the mark on Felix’s chest.

Felix inhaled sharply. “I woke up, and this… this was already there. I don’t know, maybe Dongyul put it there.” He shook his head, trying to regain his focus. “I don’t know.” His eyes began to sting as he blinked rapidly and his throat closed up. “Eun- The witch- She could make me do things.”

“What do you mean?” Changbin asked, joining the conversation. He crossed his arms over his chest, brows furrowed and red eyes gleaming in the darkness.

“This,” Felix said, gesturing to the mark on his chest before swallowing hard. “She could… make me do things. She gave me an order and I just… did exactly what she told me to.” He grabbed onto Chan’s jacket. “I couldn’t stop it,” he continued, his voice growing desperate.

Before he could say anything else, Chan hushed him gently.

“It’s okay, Lix,” he assured and Felix was unable to stop the sob bubbling up. He let his head drop, his forehead resting on Chan’s shoulder. Chan hummed, his chest vibrating as he rubbed Felix’s back in an attempt to soothe him. Felix clutched onto Chan’s jacket like his life depended on it. “We should go,” Chan said after a moment, more directed to the others than to Felix.

“What about Seungmin?” Jisung asked and Felix peered up from Chan’s shoulder. “He said we should just go but…”

“He said he would catch up,” Felix said, his voice wavering and cracking. He looked around the forest and took a step back from Chan. His chest felt empty, but he had to collect himself if he wanted to survive.

“He said we couldn’t stop to wait for him,” Jeongin whispered, tugging nervously at the sleeves of his shirt. Felix nodded, feeling a heavy, uncomfortable feeling settling in his chest.

“He told me something similar,” Felix mumbled.

“We should continue then,” Chan said, earning a nod of agreement from both Jisung and Changbin. “I want to stay for Seungmin too, but…” He trailed off, eyes lingering on Felix before flickering back towards the castle. “We need to get some distance between us and the castle before we can start to figure out how to deal with… all this.”

Felix nodded, his mouth too dry to speak.

“Let’s go,” Chan said, grabbing onto Felix’s hand before pulling him along. Felix’s mind still felt numb as they walked, and he couldn’t help but look towards the castle again. He could see the tall towers, warm light coming from all around him. His stomach twisted and he tried to swallow the lump in his throat as he turned back to look forward, towards the dark forest path ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to calm down and post chapters with a bit of time in between chapters but this has been sitting done for a little while hdfhjf hope you'll enjoy it ;w;
> 
> pls go to Nad's twt @abowlofberry and look at her wonderful stardust au art <3 her art is so good and i can't wait till hyunho shows up so you can see their designs.
> 
> Also. raise your hand if you agree that seungmin best boy.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading <3


	4. Along the forest path

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _For only the righteous shall find the way._

The clouds were still thick, hiding the stars from view. Felix had hoped to be able to see them once again, just for the slightest moment, before dawn but he was disappointed as the sky began to brighten and the clouds showed no sign of moving.

He was sitting by their small, makeshift camp, with his knees pulled up to his chest and just staring towards the sky. He was tired, exhausted even, but he couldn’t fall asleep. He had tried but the thoughts wouldn’t stop. Memories of the events kept playing in front of his eyes. He felt like he still had his father’s blood on his hands.

It made him sick. He had almost killed his own father. He hadn’t been able to control himself, but he should have tried harder to resist it. Maybe he wouldn’t have hurt his father if he did.

“Hey,” a voice said and Felix snapped his head around to see Chan. His eyes were glossy and unfocused, as if he had just woken up, and his tousled hair only further highlighted that. “Why are you up?” he asked as he sat down beside Felix, glancing up towards the brightening sky. “Did you not sleep?”

“Couldn’t fall asleep,” Felix mumbled, leaning his head on Chan’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Chan asked. Felix sighed, leaning even heavier into Chan’s side. Chan didn’t seem to mind as he just put an arm around Felix.

“All of this happened because of me,” Felix said, his words just barely audible in the chilly morning air. “If I-”

“They needed your heart, Felix,” Chan said, cutting him off before he could say anything. “What were you supposed to do? Not be the son of a fallen star? I don’t think that’s how all that works. You don’t really choose your parents and heritage. You’re given it at birth and then you have to figure out how to live with it. It’s not an active choice.”

Felix stared up into the sky for a moment. “You’re right,” he whispered. “I just…” He trailed off, looking down at his hands. “She tried to get me to kill my father.”

“She what?” Chan asked, turning to look at Felix. Felix sat up straight, eyes still fixed on his hands and he nodded. “Did you…” He trailed off and Felix turned to him. He licked his lips. “Did you do as she told you?”

“I was about to,” Felix said, voice growing thick with tears again. He reached up to rub his eyes before any tears could fall.

“Hey, what did I say about rubbing your eyes?” Chan said softly, reaching out to grab Felix’s wrists to pry his hands away from his face. “Don’t do that.”

“I would have killed him,” Felix whispered, lowering his head in shame. “Not because I wanted to, but because she told me to. I didn’t want to hurt him. I-I know I’ve expressed my disdain for my father in the past… I haven’t agreed with his decisions. But I never wanted to hurt him.”

“I know you don’t,” Chan said, taking Felix’s face in his hands. “You don’t… You don’t need to tell me. I know you, Lix. I’ve known you for…” He trailed off, the corner of his mouth twitching in a small smile. “I’ve known you all your life. I know you wouldn’t do such things unless you were forced to.” His eyes flickered to Felix’s chest, where the inky mark would be. “It seems like you don’t have much of a choice right now.”

“I couldn’t stop it,” Felix breathed, swallowing hard. “I’m so scared Chan. What is she going to do when they catch up?” He exhaled, breath shuddering. “They want my heart and I-I don’t think they’ll stop at anything until I’m dead.” Chan carefully wiped the tears off Felix’s cheeks. “If they find us, I… She’s not going to let me go the next time.”

“That’s why we’re not going to let them find us,” Chan said. “At least not before we break the curse.”

“How do we break it though?” Felix asked, the question more directed to himself than it was to Chan. He averted his eyes and pulled his hand back, turning his attention to the sky above them. “I don’t even know much about it myself. It’s so…” He trailed off, unsure what to say. “I don’t know.”

“It’s okay,” Chan whispered, lacing his fingers together with Felix’s. “Yesterday was a lot.”

“It was…” Felix leaned his head on Chan’s shoulder.

“It’s okay if you’re still confused and disoriented,” Chan said, giving Felix’s hand a squeeze. “No one is expecting you to function like nothing happened.”

“I hate being like this,” Felix said. He stared out into the sparse forest, his mind wandering and his thoughts unfocused.

“Like what?”

“Weak,” Felix replied. “I keep thinking that… if I was stronger, Dongyul wouldn’t have knocked me out. If I was stronger, maybe I wouldn’t have hurt my father. If I was stronger… maybe none of this would have happened.”

“Felix,” Chan said and Felix lifted his gaze. “Hey, listen to me,” he said, moving to fully face Felix. “Something tells me that had Dongyul not brought you to the balcony at the celebrations, he would have found another time to get you alone. I don’t think you could have done anything to stop this.”

“But-”

“The witch… she was powerful.” Felix nodded. “You don’t have much magic, do you?” Felix shook his head. “What could you have done to break her curse?”

“I just- I need to be stronger,” Felix said, blinking the tears out of his eyes.

“Lix,” Chan said, his tone serious and he carefully took Felix’s face in his hands. “You’re strong, and I know that. She just happened to be stronger than you.” Felix exhaled, his breathing shaky and Chan brushed his thumb over his cheekbone. “We’re going to break this curse and she will no longer have any power over you. I promise.”

Felix hiccuped, a sob bubbling to the surface. “Can you hug me?” he asked, his words so quiet he worried that Chan hadn’t heard him. 

But then a smile stretched on Chan’s lips and he pulled back, opening his arms for Felix.

Chan was warm. As he wrapped his arms around Felix, everything felt okay for a moment. Felix felt safe as he pressed his nose into Chan’s chest. Chan shifted a little, trying to get them into a more comfortable position. Felix’s heart was fluttering in his chest and he felt light for the first time in a while. As he laid there, his mind growing hazy by the lack of sleep, a thought passed by for a fleeting moment.

Chan’s arms were like home.

He couldn’t help but chuckle at himself.

“What’s so funny?” Chan asked, threading his fingers through the hair at the back of Felix’s head.

“Nothing,” Felix murmured, too tired to look up at Chan. There was a moment when they just held onto each other. “Thank you,” he whispered. “For… I don’t know… everything.”

Chan’s chest moved as he chuckled and Felix could feel him pressing a kiss on the top of his head, causing his heart to flutter.

“Don’t thank me,” he replied, words so quiet that only Felix could hear them. “Don’t you remember what I said to you, when you told me about your engagement?” he asked. Felix could only hum as a reply, sleep finally starting to settle in his bones. “I’ll be right beside you, every step of the way.” Lips were pressed into Felix’s hair. “Dragon’s promise.”

Felix wanted to say thank you, and he attempted to, but the words came out slurred.

“Get some sleep, little star,” Chan said, tightening his grip of Felix.“I’ll keep you safe.”

  
  
  


They ate breakfast in silence. It wasn’t a big one, as Jeongin had not managed to get a lot from the castle with him, but it was enough.

“I have more but… we need to ration it because I think we’ll be here for a while longer,” he said as they ate.

Felix only nodded, staring down in his empty bowl. He didn’t feel like eating but the small portion made it easier to stomach.

“We need to continue and get away from here,” Chan said, placing his bowl to the side. He looked between Changbin and Jisung. “We need to find someone who can break the curse.”

Changbin hummed, rubbing his chin. “Somehow I feel like finding a strong magic user to ask about that will be a difficult task.”

“Maybe,” Chan said, rubbing his temples. His heavy sigh was followed by a moment of silence. “Any ideas?”

Felix tried to think but his mind was blank. It was difficult to focus on anything but the dull pain in his chest.

“There’s the guardian of the woods… a witch some would say,” Jeongin said, causing all dragonguards to turn to look at him. “I don’t know much about them,” he continued, twisting a bit under the heavy gaze of the dragons. “I know she lives in the northwest direction from the castle. I heard the other kitchen staff talk about it.”

“Had any of them been to the guardian?” Chan asked, his gaze growing distant as he seemed to fall into his own thoughts.

“One of the older servants went, if I remember correctly,” Jeongin said, fiddling with the hem of his shirt as he seemed to recall what he had been told. “I think it was about getting a blessing for a patch of land that refused to grow.”

“Do you think she can help us?” Felix asked, joining the conversation. His voice was weak and not much more than a whisper. He immediately looked down on his hands after speaking.

“Maybe,” Jeongin said.

“Even if she won’t be able to help us, she might know someone who can,” Jisung added and Felix looked up, eyes wide. Jisung met Felix’s gaze, his expression softening as he looked over Felix. “We’ll find a way out of this,” he said, the smile not falling from his lips.

Felix wanted to believe him.

“So we head northwest,” Changbin said, looking between the group.

Chan hummed, rubbing his chin. “I’d say we travel by foot,” he said and Jisung opened his mouth. “We’re actively pursued and I think we’ll be more hidden if we refrain from flying as giant dragons.”

Jisung closed his mouth. “True.”

“We’ll have to find a way to locate the home of this guardian as we go, I guess,” Changbin said. “Because I don’t know if northwest is a good enough description.”

“You’re right,” Jeongin hummed, chewing on his bottom lip.

“It’s a good place to start though,” Changbin said as he stood up. He looked around the small camp they’d made the night before. “I guess we should start packing up.”

“We should,” Chan said and Felix nodded, standing up as well.

Without a word he began to help Jeongin with gathering the few bowls they had and pack up the food. Jeongin gave him a long glance, but he didn’t say anything. Felix felt thankful for that. He had been raised with a silver spoon in his mouth but right now he needed to pull his weight. He refused to let his friends do everything for him.

  
  
  


“I’ve never been very far from the castle,” Jeongin mused as they walked along a small path in the forest. "I've only traveled the main road between the farm and the castle," he added. "This is very different."

The trees were sparsely placed here, the tops thin and allowing sunlight to wash the ground below in warm, yellow light. It was a warm day today and Felix had had to remove the thick velvet jacket he had been wearing the day before. Chan and Changbin were walking at the front, discussing something about which path to take in order to stay safe, while Jeongin, Jisung and Felix were walking behind them.

“Really?” he asked, eyes scanning their surroundings before looking at Jeongin. “Not that I have either. I've never really left the castle.”

“I’ve only been far from the castle once or twice after I arrived there,” Jisung said. 

Felix glanced over to Jisung and almost winced. The dragonguards were all still wearing armor and Felix felt sorry for them. Maybe they handled the warm weather better because of their heritage, but if he were to be honest, the leather armors didn’t look very tempting right now. 

“My main duty is at the castle.” Jisung shrugged. “Me and Changbin went to investigate outside the castle once,” he said and Jeongin blinked. Felix snorted. He had heard this story before. “It didn’t end that well but,” Jisung glanced towards Changbin, small smile tugging on his lips, “it brought us closer.”

“Is that what made you stop hating Changbin?” Jeongin asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I never hated Changbin!” Jisung said, raising his voice and causing Changbin to look over his shoulder.

“You even apologized to me for hating me without much reason,” Changbin commented, raising an eyebrow. Jisung’s ears turned pink. “Remember? By the campfire as I-”

“Okay, okay, stop right there, mister,” Jisung said and Changbin rolled his eyes, looking back ahead. Jisung narrowed his eyes as he looked between Jeongin and Felix. “Nothing happened there, I swear.”

“If you say so,” Felix said, a knowing smile on his lips. He had heard the story from both Jisung and Changbin, so he felt like he had a pretty good idea of what had happened.

He took a deep breath as they continued to walk. He looked around the sunny forest, taking in the happy chirping of the birds. Despite his happy and bright surroundings, he couldn’t help but grow serious.

“What happened at the party? After… after it all went dark?”

Jeongin and Jisung both paused, falling behind Felix just the slightest. They looked between each other.

“I… I don’t know much,” Felix said, looking down at his hands. “I fell unconscious just after the lights went out and Seungmin didn’t tell me much either…” He licked his lips. “I want to know.”

“It just went dark. It was weird, because even when there’s a strong gust of wind, the light never goes out like that. So I guess we all kind of knew something was wrong,” Jeongin said, glancing over to Jisung who nodded in agreement.

“To be fair,” Jisung began, lowering his voice as he spoke and he leaned a bit closer to Felix. “Chan was on edge from the moment you left the room with Dongyul. I think that was the moment where we all started to feel a bit uneasy. But when the lights went out, it just further confirmed everything.”

“Then the lights went up again. The king was gone and chaos ensued. I swear I’d be dead if Seungmin hadn’t grabbed me and pulled me to the side,” Jeongin said.

Felix looked over to Jisung.

“We,” he gestured to himself, Chan, and Changbin, “managed to get out of the room pretty quickly. Chan immediately headed for the balcony but when we got there, neither you or Dongyul were there, and unfamiliar soldiers were swarming the gardens.”

“What about the town?” Felix asked, his stomach twisting uncomfortably. “What about our people?”

“They…” Jisung took a deep breath. “We couldn’t investigate it but it seems like Dongyul and his soldiers had already seized the town, before attacking the castle. We couldn’t see many people… The houses were dark and those we saw appeared to be escaping from the town. We could see a small military camp set up on the town square in the south area.”

“I see,” Felix said, the sinking feeling settling in his stomach. He took a deep breath and looked at Jeongin.

“Seungmin took me to the fountain and when we got there, Jisung and the others were already there,” Jeongin explained.

“It was pretty easy to get away because of the utter chaos. I guess that’s something positive with having a lot of people in one place,” Jisung said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “When we got together, we kind of just pieced together what we had managed to catch from the situation and we made a plan.”

“To be fair,” Jeongin said, eyes flickering between Jisung and Felix. “Seungmin was the one who made most of the plan. He had managed to get some information about what was going on and where they were taking you.”

Felix glanced back to where they had come from. The tall, bright green grass was bent and pushed to the side where they had walked. The sunlight created a lively pattern on the ground as the tree tops moved in the breeze. His heart clenched as he thought of Seungmin.

“I should have waited for him,” Felix said, turning back to look at the path ahead of him. “I feel stupid for not staying back.”

“He told us to just move as fast as we could,” Jisung said, sighing as he glanced back as well. “None of us said to stay back, so I don’t think you should take all the blame for this.” He paused for a moment. He seemed to contemplate with himself over something. Felix furrowed his brows and Jisung licked his lips. “I think we’re underestimating Seungmin a bit.”

“What do you mean?” Jeongin asked.

Felix furrowed his brows.

“I just-” Jisung averted his gaze. “There’s more to him than what meets the eye, I think,” he finally said. Felix’s frown only deepened and Jeongin looked confused. “I saw him at the training area one night and he seemed to know how to handle weapons. So I’m just saying that this worry might be unnecessary.”

“He did appear to be very calm and collected when he came up with the plan,” Jeongin added and Jisung hummed.

Felix nodded in agreement. Even if Seungmin had been a bit nervous, he had seemed to know exactly how to deal with the situation. “Did you tell him about the tunnels?” Felix asked, his attention turned to Jeongin.

“No,” Jeongin said, brows twitching and he tilted his head. “I thought you had?”

“I never told him about them,” Felix said, his stomach turning a bit and he looked at Jisung. Before he could ask, Jisung raised his hands.

“I didn’t tell him,” he said, his expression growing serious. “Those tunnels are for you and the most trusted staff. He’s new so…” He frowned. “He shouldn’t have known about them.”

“Maybe someone else told him,” Jeongin suggested and Felix hummed. “In the end he used the knowledge to save you, my prince.”

“That’s true,” Jisung said. Felix placed a hand on his shoulder.

“I don’t think we have to worry about that for now,” he said with a smile. “Seungmin saved my life and I… I must admit that I feel more at peace now,” he continued before turning to Jeongin. “And please just… just call me Felix. I don’t feel like my title is worth anything anymore. At least not here.”

“But-”

“Just Felix,” Felix said, cutting Jeongin off before he could object. He took a deep breath. “Please.”

Jeongin pondered everything for a moment before he nodded. “Felix it is then,” he said, his words slow and careful. Felix smiled and looked to the path, his eyes landing on Chan’s back.

“Thank you.”

  
  
  


The sun was setting, clouds rolling in to cover the sun but as they moved at a quick pace, the sunlight kept hitting the green forest ground of the small clearing every now and then.

There was a thud as Jisung’s body once again hit the ground. The armors were discarded and placed to the side as Jisung and Changbin were training. Jisung let out a groan, rolling over to lay on his side. The dust that had been kicked up by the impact was slowly settling again and Jisung just remained on the ground, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

“Again,” Changbin said as he walked over to Jisung. The two of them exchanged a look and Felix’s couldn’t see Jisung’s face clearly but he looked like he was about to protest. Changbin narrowed his eyes. “Again,” he repeated, offering his hand to help Jisung stand up.

They were both just wearing sleeveless shirts, Changbin’s scaled arm uncovered and Jisung’s scattered patches of scales showing. Unlike Changbin who had mostly just bigger patches, like his full arm, Jisung had smaller patches here and there on his arms; but over his heart was a bigger patch of bright, fiery red scales that gleamed in the setting sun.

Felix watched as Changbin gave instructions to Jisung, and Jisung just argued back, saying something along the lines that there wasn’t anything wrong with his stance.

Changbin only snorted and told him to get ready again.

Felix watched them from the side, sitting by a tree only a few meters away from Jeongin and the campfire. His mind was still wandering and he found himself extremely confused and lost most of the time. Upon seeing this, Chan had decided that they would be best off if they paused for today and took a bit more time to sleep instead of pushing it.

Something made him feel uneasy. He glanced around the small clearing, chewing on his bottom lip. 

It felt like someone was watching them.

“How are you feeling?” Chan asked, snapping Felix out of his daze. He looked down at Felix for a moment, smile on his face before he sat down. “You look dazed.”

“I’m… I don’t know,” Felix said, his hand grasping at the fabric over the mark on his chest. His eyes were still fixed on Changbin and Jisung. “Do they always do this?” he asked, gesturing towards the two dragons as he turned to Chan. “I know they practice at the castle but that was for a pretty clear purpose. Why… why now?”

“I think it’s their way of relieving stress,” Chan said, studying Changbin and Jisung. “I think we’re all under quite a lot of stress and we just need to find ways to deal with it.”

Felix nodded, licking his lips as he began to fiddle with his fingers, his head low. “I’m sorry.”

There was a pause. “For what?” Chan asked, sounding genuinely surprised. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Felix.”

The grass rustled as Chan moved. Felix just kept his head low, refusing to look at Chan. His cheeks were growing warm and guilt was burning in his gut. He blinked rapidly, feeling tears well up in his eyes. He didn’t want to cry. He was tired of himself. He felt so tired and weak.

“Lix,” Chan said, reaching out to take Felix’s hand. He wasn’t wearing his gloves, the dark gray scales catching the light of the setting sun as he wrapped his fingers around Felix’s. “Please look at me.”

“Chan… don’t,” Felix whispered, his stomach churning.

“Please,” Chan said, his voice so soft it made Felix’s heart hurt. He turned to look at Chan, holding his breath. “We talked about this, didn’t we?” Chan asked, brushing some of Felix’s hair away from his forehead.

“We did.”

“And I think I made it quite clear that no one is keeping you responsible for what happened or what is happening right now. How would you have been able to foresee this and stop it?”

“I don’t know,” Felix mumbled, his cheeks warming up a bit in shame. Chan was right. Of course he was right. But Felix couldn’t help all these feelings of guilt that kept returning.

“You don’t have to apologize,” Chan said and Felix nodded, his mouth dry. “Whatever happened, happened. We just have to move forward from here,” he continued. His eyes lingered on Felix for a moment, a lopsided smile on his lips before he turned to look at Changbin and Jisung.

“You’re right,” Felix said, turning back to Changbin and Jisung again, just in time to see Jisung hitting the ground again.

“You need to listen,” Changbin said as he stood over Jisung. Jisung pushed his bangs away from his forehead, dark eyes narrowing as he stared at the other.

“I am!” he snapped.

“You’re not,” Changbin said, his voice even and calm as he extended a hand to help Jisung up. “I told you what to correct and you made the same mistake.”

“Shut up,” Jisung sneered, slapping Changbin’s hand away before standing up by himself. “I’m trying my best here but clearly that’s not enough for you!”

“Jisung-”

“Save it,” Jisung said, not letting Changbin speak before he just turned around.

Felix’s eyes went from Jisung to Changbin and then to Chan, unsure of what to do in this situation. “Should we do anything?” he asked quietly, tugging at the hem of his shirt. He looked towards the direction Jisung went, worry grasping at his heart as he realized that he couldn’t see Jisung anymore.

“I’ll talk to Jisung,” Chan said and he stood up.

Felix watched as Chan left the clearing to follow in the direction Jisung went. He didn’t take his eyes off the place where Chan had disappeared until Changbin sat down beside him, a heavy sigh falling from his lips.

“Sorry you had to see that,” he said, running a hand through his sweaty hair. “He has been… snappy the last couple of days. Ever since we left the castle.” He sighed. “I don’t know what’s with him.”

“Oh,” Felix said softly, teeth worrying his bottom lip as he thought. “Maybe he’s just stressed?”

“Maybe,” Changbin said, leaning back on his hands as he stared out into empty space.

“Have you talked to him about it?” Felix asked, tilting his head.

Changbin frowned, but he didn’t turn to face Felix. “He would tell me if it was something I needed to know,” he said firmly. Felix hummed, pulling his knees up to his chest and he wrapped his arms around his legs.

“Are you sure?”

“He always tells me things.”

Felix hummed. “But what if he doesn’t… I don’t know, maybe he just feels like it’s not important for you to know?” He shrugged as Changbin turned to face him. “Just a thought,” he said, small sigh slipping past his lips. “He doesn’t always speak his mind and you know that.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Changbin said. “I’ll talk to him when he has calmed down.”

Felix nodded, tightening his grip around his legs and he looked to where Chan and Jisung had disappeared into the forest. His heart squeezed in his chest and he bit his lip. Just as he was about to say something to Changbin, there was a wave of pain shooting out from his chest, where the mark rested.

He gasped, eyes flying open and his hand grasping onto the fabric of his shirt.

“Felix?” Changbin asked, turning to him. “Are you okay? What happened?”

“I don’t know, I-” He cut himself off when another wave went through his body.

“What’s happening?” Jeongin asked, abandoning the campfire to join them. Felix turned to look at him, the fast movement of his head causing his vision to swim and black spot began to appear.

“I don’t know,” Changbin said, his voice growing panicked. 

Felix fumbled with his hands before he found Changbin. He grasped onto Changbin’s shirt, taking a deep breath as he tried to calm himself. His heart was racing in his chest and the dark spots were becoming bigger. 

“Felix? Felix, look at me,” Changbin said, taking Felix’s face in his hands. “I want you to stay with me, okay?”

Felix nodded, the simple action making him even dizzier. He blinked as he tried to focus on Changbin.

“Dizzy,” he mumbled, feeling his grasp of Changbin’s shirt loosen.

Changbin tried to say something, but his voice was muffled. Jeongin was also speaking, an attempt to keep Felix awake but he could feel himself starting to slip out of consciousness.

He took a last, gasping breath as pain washed over him. Soon, the dark spots took over his vision and Felix’s body went limp.

  
  
  


Everything hurt.

Felix groaned as he came back to consciousness. His whole body was aching, but what hurt the most was his chest. It felt like venom was burning his insides, making it difficult to breathe. He attempted to sit up, but the sharp pain stopped him. He let out a whimper and laid back down.

“Felix!” Chan’s voice broke the silence and it seemed like it brought all the sounds of the surroundings with it. Suddenly, Felix could hear the crackling of a fire, the rustling of leaves in the wind, the creaking of leather as Chan moved over to him. Felix’s vision was blurry, but he could still see the very worried expression on Chan’s face. “Felix?” he repeated, carefully taking Felix’s face in his hands. “Are you okay?”

“I don’t know,” Felix whispered as Chan helped him to sit up. He blinked a few times, trying to get his vision to focus. He took a few deep breaths, trying to remain calm and eventually, the blurriness began to fade. Felix rubbed his eyes, coming face to face with his friends’ worried faces. “What happened?”

“I don’t know how much you remember,” Changbin said, looking Felix over. “But all of a sudden you just seemed to be in a lot of pain and then you blacked out.”

“Oh,” Felix said, looking down at his hands. He grasped the front of his shirt. “The mark… it just started to pulse all of a sudden,” he explained, not looking up. “It hurt way more than it ever has.”

“Has it been hurting like that before?” Chan asked. “Have you ever been close to passing out?”

Felix stared at his hands, shaking his head. “It’s been a dull pain,” he mumbled. “Mostly just pulsing and generally uncomfortable but it has never been this bad.” He pressed his lips together, his heart clenching. He should have told Chan about this. He shouldn’t have kept quiet about it.

“Can I look at it?” Chan asked after a moment of silence. His voice was soft and his expression worried. He took a deep breath as he moved closer to Felix. “Is that okay?”

“Yes,” Felix breathed, the word so quiet he worried for a moment that Chan hadn’t heard him.

But then Chan reached out to Felix. Felix held his breath as Chan began to unbutton his shirt. He didn’t know what to expect, but when the inky mark with tendrils of black reaching across his chest presented itself, his heart twisted and he felt dread coil in his gut.

“It’s getting bigger,” he said, eyes wide as he stared at Chan. Tears were welling up in his eyes, yet again blurring his vision. “Wh- What is happening? Why is this happening?” He could see movement behind Chan as Changbin moved to lead both Jeongin and Jisung away from Felix to give him and Chan some space.

He gasped, realizing he wasn’t breathing. He looked back at the mark, fingers trembling as he touched it. It was a bit warmer than the rest of his body, and as he ran his finger over the edge of the mark, he could feel it was slightly elevated, like a small bump on his skin.

“Am I going to die?” he asked, looking up at Chan.

“You’re not going to die, little star,” Chan said firmly, but there was this worry in his eyes that made Felix’s heart drop. Chan clenched his jaw, taking a deep breath before he began to button Felix’s shirt again, covering the mark. “We’re going to figure this out,” he promised.

Felix nodded, trying to swallow the lump in his throat.

“We should… We’ll find the witch soon.”

“We’ve been searching for days,” Felix whispered, staring at the ground. “What if we can’t find her, Chan?” he asked, his trembling hand finding Chan’s. Chan wrapped his fingers around Felix’s and held on tight. “Wh-What if-”

“We’re going to find her,” Chan said, not meeting Felix’s gaze. He looked down at their hands, brushing his thumb over Felix’s. “I promise we’re going to find her soon and we’re going to end this curse.”

Despite the words of comfort, there was this gnawing question in Felix’s mind.

“What if she can’t end it?” he asked.

Chan was silent for a moment, and the tension in the air seemed to rise. Felix regretted that he had voiced his concern. Chan’s grip of his hand tightened.

“If she can’t end it, we’ll find someone who can,” Chan said, looking up to meet Felix’s gaze. “Whatever happens and however long the journey is, we’re going to end the curse.”

“Okay,” Felix whispered, blinking to get rid of the tears in his eyes. With his free hand, Chan reached up to carefully dry them off his cheeks. He pulled his hand back, stardust on his fingers. “I’m really scared.”

“I can only imagine,” Chan said, his tone becoming soft and comforting. 

Felix exhaled, his breath shuddering and he shifted a bit. He studied Chan’s face closely for a moment, taking in every detail of it. The worried look swimming in his blue eyes, his disheveled dark gray hair and the faint glimmer from the shoulder parts of his armor. 

“Jeongin has finished cooking,” Chan said, breaking the silence and eye contact as he turned towards the campfire. Felix did the same. “You should get some food and lots of rest.”

“Yes,” Felix said, his heart squeezing when Chan let go of his hand to stand up. “Food sounds good,” he hummed, standing up as well. He was a bit wobbly but Chan immediately reached out for him and helped him. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” Chan whispered. “Let’s go and get you some food.”

Felix only nodded.

  
  
  
  


Yet another day in the forest passed. The rapid decline of food was taking a toll on them. There was less talking in the group. Felix’s whole body was aching, the tiredness settling in his very bones, but he didn’t want to complain. They were doing this for him. But he still couldn’t help but feel fed up by the fact that they had yet to find the witch. He wasn’t alone with this feeling; they were all just very tired of seemingly wandering in circles. 

Felix took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, trying his best to not think too much about the pain.

Ahead of him, Changbin and Chan were talking and judging by their expressions, it was about what path to take from here.

“Jeongin,” Felix greeted when Jeongin walked up beside him. He had his attention to the ground, making sure he wouldn’t trip and fall. This particular stretch of the forest floor was rocky and big roots reached across the path as well, making it even more difficult to walk along it. He felt thankful that the events of the previous day didn’t affect him too much. He couldn’t imagine walking this path had he been as dizzy and disoriented as he had been the day before.

“My p- I mean, Felix,” Jeongin said, quickly correcting himself from using Felix’s title. Felix hummed, his attention turned to the ground as they walked and a small smile tugged on his lips. He looked up at Jeongin, opening his mouth to say something but then his attention fell on the brooch fixed to Jeongin’s collar. It was a small, black stone surrounded by copper and fixed to a small ribbon.

“You managed to bring it,” he said, eyes shifting between Jeongin’s face and the brooch. Jeongin nodded, reaching up to brush his fingers over the smooth rock.

“Yes, I… I had planned to wear it during the engagement celebrations but forgot it. I had enough time to get it from the kitchens before running.”

“Hey,” Jisung said as he joined Felix and Jeongin. He looked between the two and then his eyes landed on the brooch. “Oh, I’ve seen this one before.”

“I got it from my mom when I moved to the castle,” Jeongin explained and Jisung let out a soft ‘oh’. “It’s supposed to protect me from all evil and I…” He looked down, fingers still brushing over the stone absentmindedly. “I guess if there’s one time we need protection, it would be now.”

“True,” Jisung said, tilting his head as he studied the brooch. “Does it do anything?”

“No,” Jeongin said, shaking his head and causing his black curls to fall in his eyes. “It’s just, you know, something my mom told me,” he said as he pushed his hair away. “But it brings me some sort of comfort. I know it’s kind of ridiculous.”

“It’s not stupid,” Felix said with a frown. “If it brings you comfort, then it’s not stupid.”

“I guess,” Jeongin said with a smile, looking down at his feet. Then his expression grew serious and he looked up at Felix. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course, Jeongin,” Felix replied.

“Even if it’s personal?” At that, Felix looked up from the path and to Jeongin. Jeongin swallowed hard and bit his lip. “Maybe I shouldn’t… I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have spoken.”

“We’re in the middle of the forest, running for our lives,” Felix said, gesturing around them. “I don’t think there’s much reason to hold back on the questions. Whatever you ask me Jeongin, shall not give you any sort of problem.”

Jeongin nodded, eyes glancing around before he spoke. “Are you and Chan romantically involved?” Panic rose in his eyes the moment Felix frowned. “I’m just asking because I’m curious! I’m sorry. I knew you were close but-” He paused, looking down at the ground. “I’m sorry, I’ll stop talking.”

“No, that’s alright,” Felix said slowly. “It’s just that…” He licked his lips. “We’re not romantically involved. We’re best friends, but our relationship is not romantic.” His frown deepened. “What makes you think we’re romantically involved?” He glanced at Jisung. “Don’t say a word.”

Jisung held up his hands, feigning innocence.

“No, I-” Jeongin licked his lips. “Nothing really? I just had to ask because I know you’re close with Chan and I was curious.” His gaze flickered around. “I thought that maybe… maybe that was one of the reasons you didn’t want to marry Prince Dongyul.”

“I see,” Felix said, brows furrowed. He opened his mouth to say something but before he could, Jeongin spoke.

“I’m going to talk to Changbin,” he said, starting to walk faster. Felix just watched as he left him, brows furrowed.

“Aww, that’s too bad. This was a fun conversation,” Jisung said with a pout.

“Shut up,” Felix said, shoving Jisung to the side. Jisung laughed, a wide smile stretching on his face and eyes crinkling into crescent moons. Felix couldn’t help but smile.

They continued to walk in comfortable silence, the smiles fading and growing serious.

“Did Changbin talk to you?” Felix asked, glancing towards Jisung. Jisung paused for a moment, his jaw tensing up and brows pulling together in a frown.

“He did.”

“What did he say?”

“He apologized for being harsh,” Jisung muttered, running a hand through his hair and a heavy sigh slipped past his lips. “It’s not that Changbin was too harsh on me,” he continued, fixing his gaze on Changbin’s back. “I’m just… I don’t know. I’m angry, I’m upset, I’m stressed by all this.”

“Oh.”

“I know it’s probably nothing compared to what you feel right n-”

“Jisung,” Felix said, stopping and Jisung immediately halted. The youngest dragonguard looked at him with wide, confused eyes.

“What?”

“You don’t-” Felix ran a hand through his hair, immediately regretting his action. He winced at how greasy his hair had become. “Just because I’m having a difficult time doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to be stressed, upset and angry. You’re allowed to have all of these feelings.” He offered a smile and reached out to pat Jisung’s arm. “Don’t put your own struggles down, got it?”

“Got it,” Jisung said, nodding to himself. He looked serious for a moment before a smile stretched on his lips. It didn’t quite reach his eyes and he still looked tired, but it was a smile. “My prince,” he added cheekily.

“Stop it,” Felix said, shoving him lightly. He looked ahead, realizing the others had continued to walk. “Come on, let’s catch up!”

“I’d race you if you were in better condition,” Jisung said, grabbing Felix’s hand. “I’ll just hold your hand for now.”

“Good enough for now I guess,” Felix said, unable to hold the smile off his face. He felt calm and at peace for now, and he treasured this moment. The calm wouldn’t last forever.

  
  
  
  


Felix found himself distracted as they set up camp for the night. He tried his best to keep focus but the pulse from the mark on his chest seemed to grow stronger and he didn’t like that at all. He ended up sitting in front of the still unlit fireplace, staring into nothing as his chest ached. He pressed his palm against his chest, feeling the warmth of the mark.

The feeling of being watched hadn’t disappeared.

He glanced around their small camp, trying to make sense of the feeling.

“Maybe it’s just the animals,” he told himself quietly. “There’s a lot of wildlife out there. Nothing to worry about, Felix.”

He didn’t feel very convinced.

He could hear the others talk among themselves. Changbin and Chan were discussing where to go and look next, while Jeongin and Jisung were discussing what to do about food. They weren’t close to any towns, so it’s not like they could just take a short break from the forest. To get to the next town they needed to get out of the Avaweald Forest and into Sysiweald in the north, according to Jisung. It was difficult to be certain unless one of them assumed dragon shape and got an overview of where they were.

Which was difficult right now. Dragons above the forest would catch attention and right now they needed to be as inconspicuous as possible.

The sounds of rustling snapped Felix out of his thoughts. He blinked, returning to reality and he turned to see small lights.

He tilted his head, brows furrowing and eyes narrowing.

The light almost looked like a small firefly as if flickered in front of Felix. It was a warm, bright yellow. Felix was sure he would have mistaken it for a firefly, had it not been so close to him. He reached out for it, his fingers trembling. The small light didn’t move, but as he tried to grasp it, his fingers just went through it.

It didn’t seem like the others had noticed it. Felix glanced back at them, but they were all in deep conversation.

The bushes rustled again and Felix’s head snapped back.

There was a creature at the bushes, pushing the thickening brush and shrubbery to the side, revealing a path to Felix. He stared wide eyed at the figure. They were short, looking to be a child around the age of eight and their body appeared to be spectral, most of the form translucent. Their skin was a soft greenish gray, the eyes completely white and their white hair seeming to be floating. They were dressed in either a robe or a dress that reached to just below their knee, Felix couldn’t make out exactly what it was.

Their lips moved, but no sound came.

Felix stood up slowly, his heart picking up pace in his chest. A spirit guide had just appeared and it was offering to show him the way.

“Hey,” he called out, turning his head a little but he never let his eyes leave the guide. He could hear the voices behind him quiet down. Felix stood up and carefully approached the spirit.

They tilted their head, white eyes unblinking.

“What’s that?” Jeongin asked from behind Felix.

“I think that’s a spirit,” Changbin replied, earning a hum of agreement from Jisung.

“Should we follow it?” Chan asked.

Felix took yet another step towards the spirit, his heart picking up pace in his chest. His whole body was on alert, his fingers trembling and he was ready to back away quickly, should the spirit change their mind about him. He took a shuddering breath, his mother’s words ringing in the back of his head.

_The forest is full of life, but also the wandering spirits of those who were taken away from this world too early. You see, Felix, nature has its own magic and sometimes, someone’s life is stolen within the woods. When that happens, the forest might decide to keep the soul in this world for a little longer. Not alive, but not dead either. They’re called spirit guides and they’re tasked to serve the forest. They shall lead the sinners astray and the righteous the right path._

The spirit stared at him with blank eyes. Felix felt like the weight of the world was resting on his shoulders as it judged him, deciding what path to lead him on. He held his breath as they shifted their attention to the rest of his group.

After a few tense moments, they took a step backwards and their gaze lingered on the group before they focused on Felix, eyes finally blinking for the first time.

They offered a small hand to Felix.

“Do we follow?” Chan asked, repeating his question. Felix looked back at him. For a moment they just exchanged a long glance. Felix’s mouth was too dry; he couldn’t get a single word out. He only nodded and turned back to the spirit.

He reached out to take their hand, but his own hand simply passed through the small, spectral hand of the child. They stared at him for a moment and Felix could only offer a strained smile.

“Lead the way,” he whispered, not daring to raise his voice much more.

The spirits face was blank, but Felix swore he could see the briefest look of sadness written all over their face before they turned away, beginning to walk along the path they had showed to Felix.

As night had fallen, the forest was dark. The sun had set almost entirely, leaving only the sky closest to the horizon a dark blue with a band of yellow. As the darkness continued to fall, it felt like another part of the forest was awakening. Gone was the chirping of birds, replaced with owl hoots and rustling as the night dwellers began to move, looking for food.

“Where do you think it’ll lead us?” Jeongin asked after they had walked for a while in silence. The spirit guide didn’t seem to mind the walking, they just continued to lead them forward. They walked a very narrow path, low hanging trees hitting them in the face and forcing them to duck or push them out of the way.

“I don’t know,” Felix replied, stepping over a particularly big root that crossed the almost untouched forest path. “But I-” He looked at the small child. There was no sound as they walked, their feet seemed to pass through all the nature around it but as they passed by, the leaves rustled. “I trust them.”

Jeongin nodded, pressing his lips together.

Their journey through the thick brush continued. Soon the low hanging branches were traded for thick, thorny bushes. The branches scratched at Felix’s skin and got caught in his clothes, but he simply pushed on. Something in his gut told him they were close now.

Soon enough, the thick shrubbery opened up into a clearing.

The moon was, despite not being full, bright as it illuminated the cottage in the middle of the clearing. It was small, but the large timber logs made it look very sturdy. Smoke emerged from the chimney and a warm, orange glow came from within and contrasted with the cold moonlight. Outside the cottage was a small, seemingly organized garden. The cottage looked almost misplaced. It was a neat, well-kept patch of land in the middle of a thick, overgrown part of the forest.

There was a rustle as Chan walked up to stand beside Felix. The two of them took a long look at the cottage before facing each other.

“Shall we?” Chan asked, gesturing towards the cottage.

Felix took a deep breath before he nodded. He began to walk towards the witch’s cottage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ended up being a MONSTER chapter compared to the others oh WOW hjfhjfd
> 
> I hope y'all are enjoying the journey so far haha lmk what you think about it! uwu any favorite characters?
> 
> you can find me @pinkpunchmango on twitter


	5. Witch in the woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Dream, little star. Dream of what is to come._

As they moved closer to the cottage, it was as if the forest held its breath. There were no loud sounds or sudden movements. They seemed to be allowed to approach the cottage in peace. There was still this sensation of being watched and it unsettled Felix. But he couldn’t see or hear anything, so he decided to not think about it for now.

The clearing around the cottage was an almost perfect circle, as if the forest had just decided to stop growing large trees and unruly underbrush at a certain part; but as Felix glanced around, he noticed that one of the tall trees was standing just a meter or so closer to the cottage, its roots large and some visible as they stretched towards the cottage.

Changbin and Jisung walked ahead, inspecting the cottage closer while the other three hung back.

There was this warm, flickering light from within. But it didn’t seem like there was much movement in the cottage at all. Looking through the windows, there were no shadows moving.

“Is anyone home?” Jeongin asked, his voice small and eyes shifting around nervously.

“I can’t see anyone but there’s a fire,” Jisung said as he peered through a window at some distance. He took a step back and both he and Changbin began to walk back to the rest of the group. “Should we knock?” 

Changbin slapped him lightly on the shoulder. 

“What?”

“What do you mean what?”

“What did I do?!” Jisung asked, frowning as the other dragonguard walked up to the door.

“Of course we’ll knock,” Changbin said, rolling his eyes. “We can’t just barge into her home. That’s just rude. We need her help so the last thing we’ll do is be rude to her.”

“Let’s go,” Chan said, his voice tight and he grabbed Felix’s hand, pulling him along as he began to walk towards the cottage.

Felix’s heart picked up pace in his chest and by the time they reached the heavy wooden door, it was hammering against his ribcage. His hands were becoming sweaty and in an attempt to distract his thoughts, he let his eyes wander the doorframe of the house. It was covered in rune-like symbols and it seemed like they were emitting just the faintest, dark green glow.

The sound of Chan knocking on the door broke him out of his thoughts and he blinked, returning to the present. There was a moment of tense silence as they all stood there.

Felix tightened his grip of Chan’s hand, glancing at the other.

Chan had his eyes fixed at the door, not looking away for even the shortest moment, but he gave Felix’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

The door opened without a sound and they were suddenly face to face with a woman, maybe a couple of years older than Chan. She looked at them with wide, dark brown eyes, shifting her gaze between all five of them. She had a round face, further adding to her youthful look, and a straight nose. She was wearing a white shirt with lace details and a long, brownish green skirt that reached all the way to the floor. Her dark red hair was wild, curling into whatever direction it pleased.

“Hello,” she said, her eyes wandering once again before settling on Felix. The first impression had been that her gaze had been soft, but as it landed on Felix, it felt as if she could stare through his very soul. “The birds told me you were looking for me.”

“We are,” Felix said, finally finding his voice again. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. “We- I need help,” he continued, his voice growing quiet and weak.

The witch hummed, brushing some of her hair away from her face.

“What kind of help do you think I can offer?”

“I was cursed,” Felix said, meeting her sharp, piercing gaze. He felt so small and so scared in front of her. “I was cursed and I don’t know what to do.”

“So you came to me,” she said.

Felix nodded, his mouth dry.

She studied him closely, her eyes then moving to look over the group again, and at last she looked over their shoulders. When he glanced back, Felix could see her looking at the spirit guide that had led them to her house.

“I’m Hyunjung,” she said, making them all turn back to her. A soft smile stretched on her lips and she pushed the door to open even further. “Welcome, Prince Felix.”

Felix froze. “How..?”

“I have my way, young prince,” she said as she led them inside the cottage. Her eyes shifted to the others. “You can come in as well, dragonguards.”

Jisung gave Felix a look, eyes wide.

“And Jeongin, of course.”

“I-” Jeongin licked his lips nervously. “Thank you.”

“Yes, thank you,” Felix echoed.

“Don’t worry,” Hyunjung said as she closed the door behind them.

Felix looked around the inside of the cottage, trying to take it all in. It was bigger on the inside. Of course the witch’s house was bigger on the inside than the outside.

Immediately they were greeted by a large room, a fireplace with a kettle in one corner, a work bench in the other corner and a large, round wooden table in the middle. Along the walls were shelves filled with jars, almost all of them filled to the brim with various things and labeled in a neat handwriting. Above the fireplace was a clothing line, but instead of clothes, herbs were pinned to it to dry.

But on the opposite side from the door was a hallway that seemed to be lined with doors, suggesting that there were more rooms in the cottage.

“I only saw one room from the outside,” Jisung said from behind Felix. “This… this is amazing.” He turned to Hyunjung. “You’re amazing.”

“Those are very kind words, dragonguard,” Hyunjung said and Felix spun around to see her standing by the fireplace. “Would any of you like some tea?” She gestured to the various glass jars of herbs as a response, raising her eyebrow. “You do look like you need some tea.”

“Y-yes please,” he stuttered, struggling to find his words. He was exhausted and he felt as if he could fall asleep at any moment now.

“Sit by the table,” Hyunjung said.

Chan stayed close by Felix, their hands brushing together every now and then as they moved further into the room. The moment Felix sat down, he could feel the energy just drain from him and he slumped down into the chair. This wasn’t the proper way for a prince to sit, but out here, what he used to be mattered little to him.

“Hyunju-” a new voice echoed through the hallway only to pause. “Oh.”

Emerging from the hallway was another woman. She seemed to be similar in age to Hyunjung, a soft and youthful face, a button nose and large, bright green eyes. Flowers were nestled into her long, wavy brown hair. She was dressed in a white, flowing dress, one short sleeve and one long sleeve. Contrasting to the white was the dark green patches of moss that grew on her arms, neck and what was visible of her calves.

“Hello,” she said, eyes wandering over the whole group around the table. “Hyunjung did tell me we would have guests, but we were expecting you tomorrow.”

“They were a bit faster than the runes anticipated, I believe,” Hyunjung said from the fireplace.

“I see. Well, nothing wrong with that. We’re more than happy to have you here,” she said, clasping her hands together as her eyes seemed to twinkle in the light of the fire. “I’m Jiyeon,” she said as she walked over to a closed cupboard. She looked them all over, then to Hyunjung. “Are the boys coming tonight?”

“No,” Hyunjung said, her focus completely on the kettle. “Hyunjin said they would be looking for flame lilies today and the travel could be quite long. So I don’t expect them to return tonight.”

“Then I will skip their cups,” Jiyeon said. She turned back to look at them. “Three dragonguards, a prince and a chef, that’s an interesting mix,” she noted, returning to the table with seven cups.

“How do you… how do you know?” Jisung asked, looking between Jiyeon and Hyunjung.

“I do some fortune telling in my spare time,” Hyunjung said with a shrug as she brought the tea kettle over to the table. There was a playful grin on her lips. “I had an inkling something would happen soon and the cards told me you were coming here. I had expected you tomorrow, but I don’t mind company.”

“It’s very kind of you to just take us in,” Felix said as he was handed a cup of tea. “We are complete strangers after all.”

“Everyone is a stranger at some point,” Hyunjung replied with a shrug of her shoulders. “I put my faith in my visions and…” She trailed off. She had finished serving everyone tea and she sat down beside Jiyeon. “I believe that fate has something planned for you.” Her eyes wandered over them, and as they did, Felix could have sworn he saw a glimmer of pink. “And this something includes us, in some way.”

“What way?” Jeongin asked, holding his cup in both his hands.

Hyunjung chuckled, shaking her head. “That I don’t know. I wish I knew, but my visions are not exact guidelines of what is to happen. It gives me hints if anything.”

“I see,” Jeongin mumbled, looking down in his tea.

“You said something about a curse,” Hyunjung said after a moment of peaceful, calm silence. She held her cup in both hands and leaned forward, elbows resting on the table. “What kind of curse?”

“I don’t really know,” Felix whispered, feeling so small in front of Hyunjung. “It just… the one who cursed me can control me. S-she’s able to just tell me what to do and I can’t do anything to stop it.”

“Do you black out or do you remain conscious as you do whatever she says?”

“Conscious,” Felix replied and Hyunjung hummed, taking another sip of her tea. “I was…” He trailed off, hands grasping at the front of his shirt as he thought of how to explain it. “The witch who cursed me worked with someone else-”

Chan let out a low hiss from beside Felix. Felix reached out with his free hand to take Chan’s, wrapping his fingers around Chan’s.

“They worked together. One witch and one human.”

“Without any magical abilities?”

“As far as we know, yes,” Felix said, nodding as Chan gave his fingers a squeeze. “But the human, he was the one who hit me in the chest. It felt as if he stabbed me, but I don’t think he did. I think he just hit me and the pain was from,” he gestured to his chest, “this.”

“Can someone place curses like that?” Jisung asked. Changbin reached to shush him halfway through his sentence but Jisung just ignored him.

“Not many can,” Hyunjung replied as she finished her tea. She went silent, staring into the teacup and she seemed to be deep in thought.

Jiyeon’s gaze flickered between Felix and Hyunjung, and she leaned a bit closer to peer into Hyunjung’s cup.

Hyunjung’s expression darkened.

“What was the name of the witch who cursed you?” she asked, eyes snapping up to look at Felix. There was something new in her gaze that took Felix aback.

“Uhm, her name was,” he tightened his grasp of Chan’s hand, “Eunkyung.”

He didn’t miss the way Hyunjung’s hold of the cup tightened. Beside her, Jiyeon stiffened and she exhaled loudly.

“D-do you know her?”

“Sadly I do,” Hyunjung hissed through gritted teeth. She threw Jiyeon a glance, her expression immediately softening a bit. She sighed as Jiyeon placed a hand on her arm. “I need to take a closer look on the mark you speak of, before I can say for sure if I can help or not.”

“I see,” Felix said, letting go of Chan’s hand and he stared down into his lap.

“But I promise you, Felix,” Hyunjung continued, “that I will do anything in my power to help you.”

Felix looked up at her, eyes wide. “Thank you,” he said, unable to say anything more. What more could he say?

“Jiyeon can show the rest of you to your rooms,” Hyunjung said, reaching out to take Jiyeon’s hand. She gave it a soft squeeze and stood up. “Felix, you can follow me to my study.” She looked between him and Chan. “Would you like anyone with you?”

“Chan,” Felix said without a second of hesitation. “If you’re not too tired, of course. I would not blame you for wanting to get some rest.” He paused. Chan raised an eyebrow as he looked at Felix. “I think you better get some rest. The forest wasn’t too kind on any of us and-”

“I’ll follow you,” Chan said, cutting Felix’s ramblings short.

Felix could feel his cheeks warm up and he nodded.

“Alright then,” Jiyeon said, clapping her hands together. Her smile was genuine but a bit strained, as if something was bothering her. “Just leave your cups. I’ll deal with that later.” She turned to Jisung, Changbin and Jeongin. “Follow me.”

Chan and Felix remained in the main room for a bit, bidding their friends goodnight as they headed into the hallway.

Hyunjung on the other hand was looking through the cups, her eyes sharp as if she was searching for something in them.

“Alright,” she said, placing the last cup back on the table. “Come with me.”

They began to head down the hallway as well.

  
  
  


The room they had entered was small, seeming to be a study filled with books and in the corner was a desk overflowing with papers. Felix held his breath as he looked around the room, his hand immediately reaching out to find Chan’s. He and Chan shared a look. While Felix was searching for comfort in Chan’s eyes, he couldn’t find much. Chan seemed to be as worried as he.

“Sit down and let me have a look at it,” Hyunjung said and gestured to an armchair that stood pushed up against a wall.

Felix nodded. 

Chan sat down on a footstool beside Felix, not letting go of Felix’s hand.

Hyunjung looked at the two of them, her eyes flickering down to their hands but she didn’t say anything. Instead she let out a heavy sigh and pulled a chair over to sit in front of Felix.

“Can I look?” she asked.

Felix nodded again, lips dry, his heart hammering in his chest and the pulsing of the mark seeming to intensify. He let out a small whimper as Hyunjung began to unbutton his shirt. He almost didn’t dare to look down but there was a twisted kind of curiosity inside him.

He had to look.

“It’s gotten bigger,” he breathed, his heart sinking and his gut twisting. He exhaled loudly and looked over at Chan.

“You’ll be okay,” Chan assured, taking Felix’s hand with both his hands. He brought it up to his face, and for a second Felix thought he would press his lips against Felix’s hand, but instead he bowed his head down, forehead touching his fingers. “He’ll be okay, won’t he?” he asked, raising his head to look at Hyunjung.

Felix followed his line of sight, gaze settling on Hyunjung.

Her expression was serious as she studied the mark. She pushed her chair back a bit and stood up. Without a word she turned to one of the few bookcases without books. Jars and boxes adorned the shelves. She tapped one of the shelves with her finger as she seemed to look for something.

Then she reached for a small box, and with it in her hands she turned to her desk. She seemed to debate with herself on what to do with the papers before just shoving them off the surface.

“Eunkyung is an old mage,” she began, opening the box. From where they sat, Felix could see her pull out a purple velvet bag. Her attention was turned to the bag but she continued to speak to Chan and Felix. “She is younger than me, but her magic is different to mine.” She sighed as she pulled out a couple of runes. Taking a deep breath, she threw the runes up in the air and followed them with her gaze as they landed on the table.

Felix and Chan exchanged a look.

Hyunjung sighed as she abandoned the runes on the table and returned to sit down in front of Felix. Her expression was grim and it made Felix’s gut twist. Something told him that she wasn’t going to give him good news.

“The curse,” she began, gesturing towards Felix’s chest, “is designed in such a way that not only is it a way for her to control you Felix, but also a way to keep track on where you are. There’s this direct link between you and her.”

Felix’s heart sank.

“I cannot break it I’m afraid,” she said and tears began to well up in Felix’s eyes. “But!” she added quickly and he inhaled sharply. “I can weaken it and that should make her unable to track you through this link.”

“R-really?”

Hyunjung nodded as she pulled out a small necklace from under her white shirt. It was on a thin copper chain, copper wires wrapped around a small piece of amethyst. “It might hurt a little,” she warned as she grasped the amethyst in her hands and closed her eyes. She began to mumble something under her breath.

Chan tightened his grip of Felix’s hand and Felix held his breath.

There was a short moment of nothing. Then the pain hit him. He gasped, taken by surprise by its intensity. Once again, it felt like poison was crawling through his veins and burned his insides. But instead of rushing out towards his limbs, the pain was pulling back towards his heart.

He exhaled, his breath stuttering as he held onto Chan’s hand like his life depended on it, like it was his only lifeline.

“Breathe, Felix,” Chan whispered, brushing his thumb over Felix’s knuckles. “You’ll be okay. I promise you will.”

Felix nodded, and he tried his best to breathe. It ended up being more like hyperventilating, but he managed to calm it down when Chan began to breathe with him.

After what felt like an eternity, the pain began to melt away. The pressure on his chest was dissolving and he felt like he could finally breathe again. The dull pulsing that had been present ever since the mark was placed on his chest, was gone.

He looked down, his heart sinking when he saw that most of the mark still remained, but he had to remind himself that the pain was gone and it would probably not get worse than it had been previously. The center of his sternum was black and tendrils still reached out through his veins, but the edges of the mark were no longer black, but a soft skin color, just ever so slightly lighter than Felix’s own. It resembled a scar.

As Chan and Felix stared at the mark, Hyunjung returned to the desk. The sound of the runes hitting the heavy wood snapped Felix out of his own thoughts and he looked towards the witch as she stared at the runes.

“I’m told that there is a way to break this curse,” she said, her dark eyes still fixed on the runes. “There is a place…” She trailed off, brows furrowing before she straightened her back. “Interesting,” she muttered to herself, once again turning around to face her shelves.

“What is?” Felix asked as she began to rummage through her heavily stacked shelves.

She was pulling out books, opening some for a moment before promptly shutting them and placing them back. Some she pulled out, flipped through and then back.

“There is a place where the curse will be broken,” she said, pulling out a book but when she opened it, there were no pages. Instead there were a few vials of brightly colored liquid. She hummed as she brought them over to the table. She still wasn’t looking at Felix or Chan. “But the place is concealed for me to see,” she continued, picking up the vials one by one. She held them up to the candlelight, inspecting the liquid.

“So… how do we find the place?”

“You have to dream about it,” Hyunjung said, finally turning to Felix. In her hand was one of the vials, red liquid swirling inside. It wasn’t a dark, blood red color, but a more vibrant red. She held out the vial to Felix and he took it from her with trembling hands. “You need to drink this before going to bed.”

“This isn’t poison, is it?” he blurted before he could stop himself and he widened his eyes when he realized what he had just said. He stared in horror at Hyunjung.

Her expression was confused for a second before she laughed, her face warming up. “Dearest prince,” she began, reaching out to brush some of his hair away from his face. Her hands were warm and gentle. “What would I gain by poisoning you right before bed? I’ve already had plenty of chances to kill you.”

“That’s… you’re right,” Felix mumbled, lowering his head in shame. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“No apologies needed,” Hyunjung said, cutting him off and she raised a hand to stop him. “You’ve traveled far to get here and you both need some rest.” She took a step back and turned to the door, pushing it open. “Come, I’ll show you your rooms.”

“Come,” Chan said, helping Felix to stand up.

His legs were wobbling under him and Felix grabbed Chan’s arm as he stumbled. They exited the room, Felix still clutching onto Chan for support and he tightly held onto the vial.

“This way,” Hyunjung said, gesturing to the left and to the hallway that led away from the large room. They only walked past three door before Hyunjung stopped. She spun around and gestured to two doors. “You choose whether or not you’ll stay in the same room,” she said and Felix nodded. “You see, my cottage is ever changing. The rooms move around and the furniture changes. We do have a couple of guest rooms but…” She looked them over. “I think the cottage will only offer you a single bed. A large one, but single.”

“Oh.”

“It’s a bit treacherous,” Hyunjung said with a smile. “Thought I’d warn you just so you don’t enter the room and then leave again, because it’s not certain the cottage will have kept the other room.”

“Thank you for the information,” Chan said with a bow of his head.

“No problem, dragonguard,” Hyunjung said, clasping her hands together. “I shall take my leave and let you rest some.” She looked them over again, her eyes lingering on Felix for a moment longer. There was something sad in her eyes, but still, she smiled. “Goodnight, Felix. Goodnight, Chan.”

“Goodnight,” Felix said, his voice barely coming out as a whisper.

“Goodnight, Hyunjung,” Chan said. “Thank you for everything.”

“Don’t mention it,” she said, tired smile on her lips and she gave them a nod. “Now get some rest. You’ll need it.”

She turned around and walked down the hallway, further into the house and away from the main room. As she walked, it seemed as if the hallway itself was curving and soon she was out of view.

That, or Felix was just extremely dizzy.

Both were possible options.

“Come on,” Chan said, pulling Felix towards the door. He reached out to grab the handle but Felix stopped him, grabbing onto his wrist. “What?” Chan asked, looking at Felix with a raised eyebrow.

“I can sleep by myself,” Felix said, straightening his back a bit as he tried to not lean on Chan. “You can have your own room and own bed for tonight.”

“I don’t feel comfortable with leaving you alone,” Chan said, studying Felix’s face. His eyes flickered back towards where they had come from for a short moment, then back to Felix’s face. “If you’re okay with it, I’d like to be close by. In case you need me.”

Felix nodded.

“Let’s get you into bed, little star,” Chan said, pushing the door open.

The room they entered was moderate in size, with two deep purple armchairs in one corner of the room, a drawer in a dark kind of wood, and true to what Hyunjung had said, a large bed. What Felix hadn’t expected was the window that let the pale moonlight in. The hallway hadn’t been visible from the outside. So how could this room, that did not really exist, have a window.

He decided to ask tomorrow.

“Let’s go to sleep,” he mumbled, pulling away from Chan.

He spun around and began to undress, placing all of the dirty clothes on the armchair. He felt bad for destroying the pristine fabric, but he didn’t know where else to put them. He considered the floor for a short second, but then decided against it.

“I really miss the castle,” Chan said and Felix turned around.

Chan flexed his hands and rubbed his wrists. He hated the gloves and bracers, Felix knew that, but he wore them to cover the patches of scales on the back of his hands and forearms. Chan hated his scales and hid them as much as he could. But Felix liked them. They were a part of Chan; a part of who he was.

“I miss being able to take a bath,” Chan said, turning around to fold his clothes, displaying his scale-covered back.

It made Felix feel warm, to see Chan’s scales. It made him feel warm every time Chan allowed him to remove the bracers. Chan trusted him and that trust meant the world to Felix.

“Don’t you?” Chan suddenly asked and Felix was snapped out of his own thoughts. Chan crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yes, just tired,” Felix stuttered, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to distract from his embarrassment. “What did you say?”

“Don’t you miss the castle?”

“I…” Felix trailed off, carefully making his way towards the bed, the potion clutched in his hands. He was wobbling on his step but the second he was within reach of the bedpost, he grabbed it to steady himself. Chan watched him closely. “I guess I do,” he mumbled as he sat down.

“You guess?” Chan asked, standing by the other side of the bed.

“I don’t know,” Felix sighed, running a hand through his greasy hair. He would really need a bath. “I feel…” He licked his lips. “You know, despite everything, I feel more free here. I can breathe and I don’t have someone constantly telling me what to do or how to act.” He looked down at his hands, brushing away some of the stardust. “I feel like I’m more free to be myself here. Even if the circumstances aren’t the best.”

“Maybe,” Chan began, a soft smile creeping up on his lips. “Maybe, when all of this is over, you should actually consider running away.”

“With you?”

Chan’s smile grew wider and he nodded.

“That’s ridiculous, sir,” Felix said, pretending like his heart wasn’t speeding up in his chest. “If the curse is broken and the offer still stands, I might consider it.”

“That would make me the happiest man in this world, my prince,” Chan said.

Felix couldn’t help but laugh.

“We should go to sleep,” he said, averting his gaze for a second then going back to Chan. “You’re not going to lay down?” he asked, gesturing to the space between him. “The bed is big enough.”

“Is this okay?” Chan asked, the smile suddenly wiped off his face.

“What do you mean?”

“Are you okay with sleeping in the same bed as me?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Felix asked, frowning at Chan.

“I’m an orphan and a dragon,” Chan said, as if that would explain it. “You’re a-”

“I’m Felix and you’re Chan, my best friend who is putting himself in a lot of danger to protect me,” Felix said, cutting Chan off. Chan sighed as he sat down on the bed. The mattress creaked and shifted as the sudden weight. “I don’t care about status. It’s not important.”

“But I…” Chan trailed off, looking down at his hands. He brushed his thumb over the scales.

“But nothing,” Felix said. “I don’t care, Chan. Heritage and status isn’t important. I only care about you.”

Chan nodded, a heavy sigh falling from his lips.

“Guess I’ll have to drink the potion now,” Felix said, changing the subject and Chan looked up.

Both of them looked between the potion and the other.

“Here goes nothing,” Felix whispered, mostly to himself as he removed the cork and downed the potion. It was sweet on his tongue, leaving a faintly bitter aftertaste. Before placing the bottle to the side, he couldn’t help but smell the now empty bottle.

“How was it?”

“Sweet, bitter aftertaste,” Felix said, shrugging as he placed the bottle to the side. “Smelled like oranges.”

“That’s odd,” Chan said, pulling the blanket to the side so he could lay down.

“Yeah,” Felix agreed, laying down as well. He exhaled as he looked at Chan.

Everything was so odd right now and Felix felt extremely lost. But he was also thankful to have Chan with him, like an anchor to keep him from drifting away too far. He couldn’t help the yawn as his eyelids began to grow heavy. He would need to thank Chan tomorrow.

“Goodnight,” he whispered, fighting to keep his eyes open.

“Goodnight,” Chan said, his voice just a bit slurred.

The last thing Felix saw before his eyelids grew way too heavy was Chan’s peaceful face. It made butterflies flutter in his chest.

  
  
  


This was a dream.

It was an odd sensation, to be aware of the dream. Felix blinked, trying to get his eyes to focus but it seemed like the slight blurriness in the corner of his eyes were there to stay. It was almost like it was reminding him that it was a dream.

He took a deep breath and looked around. He was standing in the middle of rubble and crushed stone. A silver light washed over the ruins. As he spun around, he realized that it resembled a courtyard, with an overgrown fountain in the middle. The water was murky and dark, making it difficult to see the bottom of it.

It was as if the forest tried to reclaim the place, and had so far been successful. Moss and vines covered much of the pale, crumbled stones.

Felix frowned and turned to look up. He could see the remains of a tower, most of it smashed and the rest just barely standing. The sight of the tower confirmed his suspicions. He was standing in the middle of the ruins of a castle. He let his eyes wander upwards, to the sky. His heart sank and dread coiled in his gut. It was a cloudless night, he was sure, but the sky was just empty.

The stars were gone.

He blinked, trying to understand what was going on. He looked around again. His surroundings are clearly lit by a silver light. But there were no stars in the sky. There was no moon. What was lighting up the area?

The shiver down his spine wasn’t a good one, but he felt like he knew the answer to that question. He looked down on himself.

He was the source of the light.

Just like his mother, he was emitting a gentle, silver light. Which was odd. He never lit up his surroundings like this. Sometimes his hair would give of the slightest bit of light, but he never glowed like a star would. He was just a half-celestial, his human half taking away his celestial light.

He shook his head, dismissing the thoughts. He needed to continue.

With a gnawing feeling in his chest, he began to walk. The gravel was creaking under his shoes as he continued further into the ruins and away from the courtyard. Ahead of him was a balcony with two sets of curved stairs leading up to it. The right one had been damaged, and the middle part of it laid crumbled on the ground.

Vines were wrapped around the cracked and partially broken railing of the left staircase, and Felix worried for a second that it too would fall under him but the thought was quickly pushed to the side by the uneasy feeling that was building up in him. His heart was picking up pace in his chest.

The silver light seemed to grow stronger as he reached the top of the stairs. He frowned and looked around.

The balcony resembled one of the balconies back at Felix’s own castle. Not the balcony where he had been attacked by Dongyul, but one of the balconies on the lower floor. As he stood there, looking over the ruins below, Felix could only have imagined how beautiful this had been when the castle was still standing. The view of the courtyard below must have been stunning and the fountain must have been an artwork.

His heart felt heavy and he turned his attention away from the courtyard below. On the balcony were more slabs of broken rocks, and the marbled floor was almost completely cracked with holes of missing marble pieces here and there. What caught his attention the most was the path that seemed to be cleared through the rubble and overturned, old furniture. His chest tightened and he held his breath as he followed the path, further into the ruins.

The silver light was suddenly rivalled by a faint green one, growing stronger as he walked. He didn’t stop until he reached a large room. Most of the roof was gone, laying in piles on the floor instead. The floor was marble and he could tell that there had once been a very intricate pattern painted on it, but old age and the destruction had worn it down. In one of the far corners, Felix caught a glimpse of something and he immediately headed towards it. He felt drawn to it.

He crouched down, frowning as he saw the object. He reached out for it but immediately halted, staring wide eyed at his hand. He took a shuddering breath and looked at his other hand as well.

Both of them were stained with blood.

“This is just a dream,” he whispered to himself, trying to stay focused. He would be safe and wake up at any time. He turned back to the cuffs. “Just a dream.”

It was a set of four chains with cuffs at the end, clearly not as old as the rest of the ruins, and all of them were bolted to the floor. The cuffs themselves had some weight to them, he noted as he picked one of them up. Two of the four cuffs had intricate designs engraved into the iron. Felix hadn’t seen symbols like this before, but it kind of resembled the symbols carved into the doorframe of Hyunjung’s house.

Were the cuffs magic in some way?

He was suddenly pulled to the floor and he let out a surprised yelp when his knees hit the hard, cracked marble. Pain flared in his chest, similar to how it had felt when the mark grew. He looked around, trying to see who was behind this.

But he was still alone in the room. The silver light from him was becoming overpowered by a green light.

The pain washed over him again and something tugged at him. He looked down on himself again, not knowing what to expect.

A translucent chain was stuck to his chest, emitting a sickly green glow that seemed to pulse in the same rhythm of Felix’s heartbeat. It was pulling him towards the darkness, each tug causing pain to shoot through him.

Tears welled up in his eyes and he let out a sob at the next tug. He grabbed the chain, only to let go of it immediately as it began to burn his skin.

“No, no, no,” he protested as the chain continued to pull him towards the unknown.

The green light was growing stronger, overpowering the silver light. It was as if he was being suffocated. He could feel his body becoming heavy and cold. He felt tired, but the pain in his chest was growing unbearable. He was crying by now, tears rolling down his cheeks.

He gathered whatever strength he had left.

“NO!” he screamed, grabbing the chain again.

Golden light filled the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to split what would be chapter five into two chapters... Bc this alone was 6k and the road to Hyunho is another 2-3k so hjdfjhd no hyunho for us just yet i believe o<-< very sad
> 
> AnywaY! thank you so much for reading this fic <3 if you have the time, feel free to drop a comment ;w; i love reading the comments hehe
> 
> if you wanna follow me on twitter where i sometimes talk about this fic or post teasers, it's @pinkpunchmango


	6. A gentle wind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _A gentle wind rustling the leaves. Truly the calm before the storm._

Felix blinked awake, squinting in the bright light. They had forgotten to pull the curtains in front of the window before going to bed, resulting in a cascade of light in the morning. The smell of freshly baked bread filled his nostrils as he sat up. He rubbed his eyes, his chest feeling a bit heavy as he recalled the dream from the previous night.

“What a confusing dream,” he muttered to himself, staring at his hands. There was some dirt under his nails, but otherwise his hands were clean. He sighed, his hands falling down to rest in his lap. He would have to talk to Hyunjung later, and he could only hope that Hyunjung would be able to decode what his dream meant.

He looked around the room, eyes eventually falling on the empty side of the bed. He reached out to touch it, his gut twisting as he realized it was cold. Chan must have left a while ago at least. There was an ache in his chest and Felix frowned. He didn’t like this uneasy feeling.

The floor was cold against his feet as he padded across the floor, from the bed to the armchair where he had left his clothes. He frowned as he reached for the set of folded, linen clothes. Someone had changed his clothes while he had slept. They smelled fresh and way nicer than his own clothes at the moment so he decided to not worry about that and instead got dressed. The fabric was course against his skin, way rougher than the usual silk and cotton he wore. However, they were clean and he wasn’t going to complain.

When he exited the room, it turned out that it had been moving during the night. The previous night, when they had entered the room, it had been further into the hallway. Now he could see the main room from the doorway.

The house was empty. He entered the main room, taking a deep breath and the smell of bread made him feel warm inside. He stood in the main room for a moment, just by the table, and looked around.

Then he heard the voices from outside.

He was greeted by the warm, bright light of the sun as he pushed the door and he shielded his eyes. Ahead of him was Changbin, Chan and Jisung, all three busy sparring. Chan was the only one wearing a shirt, sleeves not quite long enough and his scales exposed. Without the shirts, Changbin and Jisung’s scales were fully on display.

Jisung’s scales grew in patches on his arms and a larger patch right over his heart.

Changbin had his arm fully covered, but the large patch of scales continued up his neck and covered almost half of his chest and back.

“Good morning, Felix,” a soft voice said and Felix snapped his head around to see Jiyeon. She was standing in the garden, hanging the laundry. She was wearing the same dress as the night before, the white one with asymmetrical sleeves. “Did you sleep well?”

“I… I guess I did,” Felix said as he walked over to her. He sat down on the bench beside her, rubbing his face. “Have they been here for a long time?” he asked, turning his attention to the dragonguards.

“For quite some time, yes,” Jiyeon said as she pinned Felix’s newly washed shirt to the clothing line. “I thought I’d wash your clothes,” she continued, gesturing to the garment. “I think you all needed some new clothes. And maybe a bath later.”

“I think we need that too,” Felix murmured. He rubbed his eyes again, attempting to get the sleep out of his eyes. “Thank you, Jiyeon.”

“Don’t mention it,” she replied, shaking her head and as she did, some of the flowers in her hair fell to the ground.

“Can I ask you something?” Felix asked.

Jiyeon studied his face for a moment. “You want to know what I am, correct?”

“How did you..?”

“When you live with a seer for a couple of decades, you learn one or two things,” she said, a wide smile on her lips as she pinned the last garment to the clothing line, Changbin’s undershirt. She sat down beside Felix. “I’m a forest spirit,” she said, holding out her left arm with the short sleeve to display the moss growing on her. “I have a tree growing in this forest.” She leaned back a bit and looked towards the woods. “I may have become a bit too used to life here. If you meet other spirits that aren’t from this area, they may be staying in the woods, closer to their tree.”

“Oh,” Felix said, following her line of sight. “Are there more forest spirits around here?”

“Two more,” Jiyeon replied, raising her hand to show two fingers. “They’re much younger than me and I…” She glanced back towards the cottage, a smile tugging on her lips. “I guess they’re kind of like our children.” She raised her right hand to brush some of her hair away from her face. As she did, her sleeve fell back a bit to reveal another patch of something. Instead of vibrant moss, what covered much of Jiyeon’s left forearm was dry and dead bark.

Felix decided to not ask about it.

“Hyunjung mentioned a… Hyunjin yesterday?”

“Yes that would be one of them,” Jiyeon said, nodding her head. “The other one is Minho”

Felix hummed and thought about what Jiyeon had just told him. “I have another question?”

“Ask away.”

“Can you leave the forest? Or are you tied to this place?”

“Oh, I can leave the forest. The tree is what ties me to nature and being far away from it might make me feel a bit tired, but leaving the forest isn’t a problem.”

“I see,” Felix said, looking down at his hands. “I’ve never met a forest spirit before,” he mumbled. “I… I feel like I’ve started to see a whole new part of the world after I left the castle.”

Jiyeon hummed. “I can imagine that your father liked to keep you close to the castle.”

“He didn’t want me to leave and he was very protective, especially after my mother passed away. He wasn’t always harsh on me but something changed when my mother was gone.” Felix bit his lip. “I’m the only heir. If anything were to happen to me, the kingdom would fall.” He took a deep breath. “He treated me like a trophy. Like I was a prize for someone and…” He trailed off and rubbed his eyes. “He was willing to sell me off to the highest bidder.”

“Hm, that doesn’t sound very nice,” Jiyeon said and when Felix looked at her, he could see the pity in her eyes. “I’m sorry you had to go through that Felix.”

“No use in dwelling the past,” Felix mumbled, clasping his hands together. “Maybe it’s for the best to look forward.”

“I can promise you it’s for the best,” Jiyeon said, her smile warm. She turned to look at the dragonguards and Felix followed.

They seemed to have moved on from actual training to something more resembling play fighting, with Changbin against Chan and Jisung as the judge. As he swung his arm towards Chan, Changbin’s white scales appeared iridescent as they reflected the light. Chan ducked under his fist, crouching down to take a sweep towards Changbin’s legs in an attempt to trip him.

“Felix!” Jeongin said as he joined Felix and Jiyeon on the bench. His eyes were wide as he looked Felix over, taking Felix’s hand in his. “Are you okay? Have you removed the curse already?”

“I’m okay Jeongin,” Felix said, raising his free hand to pat Jeongin on the arm. “The curse was not broken,” he said, trying his best to keep his voice as steady as possible. “But I- Maybe she’ll have some more clues on how to break it. I dreamt of the place where the curse would be broken and maybe she’ll be able to help me a bit more.”

“Oh,” Jeongin said, pausing for a moment and he furrowed his brows. “How did you know that you dreamt exactly of that place?”

“Hyunjung gave me a potion and told me I would dream of that place.”

“Oh.”

“So, I guess I’ll need her help in figuring out where that place is,” Felix murmured. He looked down at his and Jeongin’s hands. “Then I need to go there.”

“You?”

Felix looked up at Jeongin who just raised an eyebrow.

“I think you meant to say where we need to go. Who said anything about you going alone?”

“But-”

“No buts,” Jeongin said, giving Felix’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “There’s no way we can just go back to the castle and live our lives like normal. We’re in it for the long run and I think it’s safe to say that me, Chan, Changbin and Jisung are all dedicated to help you break this curse.”

Felix’s chest tightened and he swallowed hard. “Thank you,” he whispered.

There was a pause where Jeongin only held onto Felix’s hand with a firmer grip.

“Would you boys mind helping me set the breakfast table?” Jiyeon asked, looking between the two of them as she stood up. “I’m sure Hyunjung will be back at any moment now and when she’s back, we’ll have breakfast.”

“I’ll help,” Felix replied, standing up.

Jeongin followed, still not letting go of Felix’s hand. “Me too!” he said, a wide smile on his face.

“Perfect. Let’s go inside and leave the dragons on their own,” Jiyeon said.

They began to head in but before entering the cottage again, Felix paused and turned back to look towards the three dragonguards. They were still play-fighting, this time it was Jisung against Chan and Chan had Jisung pinned to the ground, laughing while Jisung tried to squirm his way out of Chan’s hold. Felix couldn’t help the smile that stretched on his lips. He took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet smell of the flowers that grew all around him. The smile lingered on his lips as his eyes wandered. From the dragons and up to the edge of the forest. Despite it being morning and the sun being bright in the sky, the forest felt dark and it was as if the shadows were moving closer. Just slowly.

A shiver ran down Felix’s spine. The sensation of being watched returned and dread caused his gut to tighten. He took a deep breath and tried to shrug it off as he turned back to enter the cottage. Maybe it was just some kind of animal watching them. They were in the middle of the forest after all.

  
  


“So,” Hyunjung began as Felix finished his retelling of his dream. “You saw ruins in the forest.”

He nodded, staring into his porridge. “Really old ones,” he said, facing Hyunjung again. He could feel the others looking at him, but he didn’t dare to back at them. His dream had been unsettling and he didn’t know what to expect. He just felt confused.

“With a balcony and a large room with a broken ceiling?”

“Yes.” He paused. “The large room could have been a ballroom or a throne room,” he said after a moment of thinking. “The floor was marble and so was the balcony floor.”

“Maybe a castle then,” Jiyeon suggested and Felix nodded. “Considering the tower.”

“Is there a ruin like that anywhere near?” Chan asked, crossing his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair. He took a deep breath, glancing at the dragonguards. “We could scout it out from the air but I don’t think it would be wise, seeing as they’re probably just waiting for us to take to the air.”

“It would reveal our whereabouts,” Changbin said and Chan nodded, pressing his lips together.

“A castle or a mansion,” Felix said, looking between Jiyeon and Hyunjung. “The tower I saw was in the distance and could have been a watchtower or something.”

Jiyeon paused, brows furrowed and she turned to Hyunjung. “Do you think Eunkyung..?”

“Oh,” Hyunjung said, pausing for a moment before frowning. “Wait, I’ll be right back,” she said, promptly turning around to walk down the hallway.

Felix blinked, watching her disappear as the hallway seemed to curve once again. He turned back to Jiyeon who still seemed to be deep in thought.

“There may be a place,” she said before Felix, or anyone else, could ask her about it. “Hyunjung went to get a map.” Jiyeon bit her lip, brows furrowing ever so slightly. “Eunkyung may have chosen to return to a place where she once resided.”

“What do you know about Eunkyung?” Chan asked, his expression serious as he stared right at Jiyeon. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair.

She pressed her lips together.

“Hyunjung knew her. Many, many years ago,” Jiyeon began, lowering her gaze. “Back then, covens of witches were more common. The covens took young spellcasters in and taught them how to master their magic. Eunkyung was taken in by Hyunjung’s coven as a young girl. Hyunjung was a teen around that time.”

“She was like a younger sister to me,” Hyunjung said, returning with a rolled up piece of paper in her hands. She ran a hand through her red hair and sighed, sitting down at her place again. “She was just a few years younger than me and for some time, we were the youngest in the coven. We trained side by side.” Her gaze grew distant as she recalled the memories. “She was always a curious one, wanting to know more about everything, but especially the forbidden arcane arts.”

“The forbidden?” Jeongin asked, immediately clasping his hands over his mouth. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“Don’t be,” Hyunjung said with a soft smile. She sighed and her shoulders slumped. “She was interested in curses. How to bring destruction and ruin. The kind of magic that we should stay away from.”

“Oh.”

“But she wasn’t the only one interested in those kind of things and back then, it wasn’t something she let overtake her. She completed her classes just fine and mastered her magic in a rather fast pace.” She paused and stared down at her hands. “Then we were assigned roles.”

“Roles?” Changbin asked, elbows resting on the table and he leaned forward. His red eyes were fixed at Hyunjung.

“In our coven, we were each assigned roles as we moved on from being students to witches. I was tasked to guard the forest,” she said, gesturing around her. “I am the keeper of this forest until the day my magic fades completely from me.”

“And Eunkyung?” Felix asked, his voice quivering just the slightest.

“She was tasked to be the advisor to a very wealthy merchant,” Hyunjung said, her voice strained. “She was very bright and had a knack for talking to people. Where I was more keen on talking to animals, she was a natural when it came to charming people. She was perfect as the advisor.”

“Why would a wealthy noble need a witch as his advisor?” Jisung asked, tilting his head. “As far as I am aware, that’s not really a common thing.”

“This man dealt with magical artefacts and items,” Hyunjung explained and Jisung let out a soft ‘oh’. “He needed someone to help with identifying the items.” She nodded to herself and sighed. “A few years after we were assigned positions something happened. No one in the coven knew what happened, but there was…” She trailed off, pondering her choice of words. “There was an accident, leaving no one at the mansion alive. It ruined most of the building and all that was found was charred remains of the family members and some of their staff. Eunkyung was assumed to have been among them at the accident.”

“But she wasn’t,” Chan said, his voice cold.

Hyunjung shook her head, a heavy sigh falling from her lips. “She wasn’t,” she said, pulling up the piece of rolled up paper that she had retrieved. “But your description sounds somewhat similar to the mansion where the accident happened,” she explained as she unrolled the paper. “The ruins of the mansion itself are not in this forest,” she began, trailing her finger over the paper. “We’re here,” she said, pointing into the thick forest of the north Avaweald Forest. “And the mansion is here,” she continued, moving her finger to the west, stopping at the southwest of the Sysiweald Forest.

“That’s quite the journey,” Jisung noted, not taking his eyes off the map. “And it looks like it would be easy to get lost.”

“The Avaweald is very thick and…” Changbin trailed off, eyes narrowing and he leaned closer to the map. “Is that a swamp?”

“The Ariun Swamp, yes,” Hyunjung said, leaning back in her chair. “I haven’t left Avaweald in decades now, but from my memory, those swamps are treacherous and not to be taken lightly to.” She sighed and looked up. There was something in her eyes, something Felix couldn’t quite make out. “I want to help you. I want to bring an end to Eunkyung’s destruction because…” She shook her head. “She has caused way too much suffering in this world. She needs to be stopped and I’m willing to do my best to help you.”

Felix’s heart felt lighter and he straightened his back a bit.

“However, I cannot follow you to the mansion,” she continued and Felix’s expression fell again. “I am tasked to protect this forest, and that means I cannot leave it. No matter what reason. Balance in these woods would be forever lost if I left.”

“I see,” Felix mumbled, turning his attention back to his porridge. It was probably cold by now.

“But I can send you with a guide,” Hyunjung said, a smile appearing on her face when Felix met her gaze. She glanced over to Jiyeon and shrugged. “Or two because our boys would never let the other one go alone.”

“Minho and Hyunjin?”

“Yes, those would be the ones,” Hyunjung said as she leaned back in her chair again. She stared at the map, something distant in her eyes. Then she looked up again, letting her gaze wander over the five of them. “Do you wish to travel to these ruins?”

Felix turned to Chan. “It does sound like a very likely place,” he said, taking a deep breath. “Don’t you think?”

“It does,” Chan murmured, brows furrowing and he ran a hand through his hair. “You don’t know how the curse is broken?” he asked, facing Hyunjung.

“Sadly no,” she said, eyes downcast for a moment. “But I do know that the curse will be broken at this place.”

“So we need to go there and then… figure it out?” Changbin asked, not looking too thrilled.

“I’m afraid so,” Hyunjung said, shoulders slumping. “I wish I could help you out more-”

“No,” Felix said, cutting her off. “You’ve helped us more than enough and we’re grateful for everything.” He took a deep breath. “Although, two guides through the forests wouldn’t be a bad thing, if they would like to accompany us.”

Hyunjung smiled. “We’ll go and talk to them after breakfast. They should be back from their little trip by now,” she said.

Felix nodded. His heart didn’t feel much lighter and he still felt weighted down by worry, but knowing that they may have the right place filled him with the tiniest seed of hope. As he ate his now cold porridge, he could only pray that the little seed would grow from now on.

  
  


Hyunjung and Jiyeon led them through the forest and away from her cottage. As they walked, Felix couldn’t help but take note of the small cape that Hyunjung was wearing. It was just covering her shoulders and what grabbed Felix’s attention was the intricate embroidery on the fabric. Vines and branches twisted and turned, only giving space here and there to colorful flowers. The embroidery was so detailed the flowers almost seemed real.

During the day the forest seemed way less intimidating. Gone were the shadows that took the shapes of wild animals and horrifying creatures, replaced with a beautiful and uneven pattern of sunlight on the forest floor. Felix kept close to Chan, nervousness still buzzing in his body. He kept glancing around as they walked, his heart drumming unevenly in his chest. The feeling of being watched had been so strong, even though when they had

“Hyunjin?” Hyunjung called out as they stopped among sparsely placed trees and bushes. There was a moment of silence as they waited. Felix held his breath, eyes fixed on Hyunjung. “They’re usually around here,” she explained, gesturing to the forest around. “It’s their favorite spot in the forest.”

“I like the fields more,” a new voice said and Felix snapped his head around to find the source.

From the forest emerged a humanoid being dressed in a white, sleeveless shirt. Most things about him was very human. He was tall, a small heart shaped face and thick lips stretched into a wide, warm smile. His eyes were green and seemed to sparkle as he looked over the group. His long hair was pink, fading into a soft peach at the ends. What wasn’t human about him was the vibrant patches of moss on his skin. The most prominent places were his upper arms and neck. In his hair was a wild array of colorful flowers.

“Jinnie,” Jiyeon cooed, immediately moving over to give Hyunjin a tight hug.

“I’d spend all my day over there, but a certain someone,” Hyunjin began, his chin resting on Jiyeon’s shoulder. He gestured with his head back towards the thicker parts of the forest where he had come from. “Someone prefers the thick forest.”

There was a rustle as another figure appeared. And he looked nothing like Felix had expected.

Jiyeon was vibrant. A shining light with her white dress, her warm brown hair with flowers and the patches of green on her skin. Hyunjin was the same, vibrant and warm colors.

Minho looked nothing like them.

Dressed in a dull green shirt, wide sleeves and low cut neckline with simple brown pants, Minho appeared. Unlike the soft pink of Hyunjin’s hair or the warm brown of Jiyeon, Minho’s hair was a faded orange. He was handsome, with a small face and prominent cheekbones. But it was difficult to focus on his features, as the pale brown bark on his face and neck pulled most of the attention. His eyes were tired and indifferent as they glanced around, the left one a warm brown and the right one completely gray, no iris or pupil.

“Minho,” Hyunjung greeted, opening her arms but before Minho could get there, Hyunjin had released Jiyeon and bounced over to Hyunjung.

There was something in this scene that just warmed Felix’s heart. Jiyeon moved over to Minho, and as she hugged him, the faintest smile stretched on his lips. Jiyeon whispered something before pressing her nose into Minho’s shoulder, giving him a tight hug.

“I have a job for the two of you,” Hyunjung said as Hyunjin pulled back from the hug. Minho removed himself from Jiyeon and immediately stuck to Hyunjin’s side.

“You do?” Hyunjin said, raising an eyebrow and he glanced over to the group. He tilted his head, green eyes studying them closely.

Minho turned to look at them, his gaze seeming to pierce through Felix’s very soul. His expression was blank and he showed no reaction, unlike Hyunjin who was very expressive.

“This is Felix, Jeongin, Chan, Changbin and Jisung,” Hyunjung began, looking between Felix’s group and the two forest spirits. “They need to get to some ruins in the Sysiweald.” She took a deep breath. “There’s a curse laid on Felix by Eunkyung.”

Minho inhaled sharply. Hyunjin’s expression grew serious.

“They need a guide,” Hyunjung said.

“Ruins, you say?” Minho asked, and as he spoke, Felix could see that the bark on the right side of his face had started to fall away and exposed the insides of his mouth. He looked between Felix and Hyunjung. “Any specifics on that?”

“The Gangjeon mansion,” Jiyeon said, joining up on Hyunjung’s side. “Hyunjung wants to help them but you know she cannot leave the forest.”

“I know.”

“Would you two help them?” Hyunjung asked.

Minho and Hyunjin shared a look. They were both silent as they looked at each other, seeming to communicate in a way that didn’t require words.

“We’ll bring them there,” Hyunjin finally said, earning a nod of agreement from Minho. He turned to Felix. “Do you want to leave right away? Because we could get ready to leave right away.”

“Uhm…” Felix trailed off, eyes flickering between Chan and Hyunjung.

“If you’d like to take another night to recover and rest here it’s fine. The cottage and most of the surroundings are shielded from sight and your fiancé’s forces won’t be able to find you here,” Hyunjung said. “I understand if you’d like to hurry, but if you need more rest, you’re free to stay.”

“Maybe we should rest and get ready to leave early in the morning?” Jisung said, eyes shifting between Felix and Chan. “I’m just saying that running away and then spending days in the woods without much food was very draining and we should try and regain what strength we can.”

“You’re right,” Chan said, rubbing his chin. “We all need some rest, so maybe we should stay another night,” he said, turning to Felix. “You look like you need some more rest.”

“I feel like I need it,” Felix admitted, lowering his head. He took a deep breath and turned to Hyunjung. “We’d love to stay for another night.”

“We’ll help you get ready for the journey tomorrow,” Hyunjung said, walking closer to Felix. She took his face in her hands, her eyes looking deep into his as if she was searching for something. At last her gaze softened and a sad smile stretched on her lips. “You have a long and exhausting journey ahead of you. You need the rest.”

Felix decided to not ask about it. He didn’t want to know.

  
  
  


The sky was dark, and the lack of clouds allowed the stars to shine brightly over Felix. The grass was cold against Felix’s bare feet but he didn’t mind. He just took a deep breath, shoulders slumping and toes curling as he stared up into the sky. The dream from the previous night continued to haunt him and it made it difficult to fall asleep. He had snuck out when he was sure that the others had fallen asleep. Passing by Chan had been difficult, especially as the two of them shared a bed, but as far as Felix was concerned, he hadn’t woken Chan up.

He ran a hand through his hair, staring at his palm as he pulled it back. The silver dust gave off just the faintest bit of light. The thought of himself glowing like a full-blooded star made his gut twist and he sighed, letting his hand drop.

The sickly green chain, the golden light, the blood that stained his hands. He wasn’t sure what to do of the dream and he wasn’t sure what bothered him the most.

Maybe it was the lack of stars on the stars that had shook him to the core. He couldn’t imagine losing the stars.

“What should I do?” Felix whispered, eyes wandering the sky until he found a very familiar constellation. “I feel so lost, mother. I don’t know where to go from here.”

No answer. Of course.

“Is father okay? He was hurt when I left and I-” He paused, licking his lips. “I didn’t even think of a way to get him out of the castle.” He grasped at the fabric of the shirt he had borrowed and bit his lip. His chest tightened and he blinked rapidly, trying to get rid of the tears. “Please, let him be alright.”

There was a rustle from the edge of the forest as a bird took off.

Felix followed the silhouette of the bird as it headed towards the sky, and then soared. He sighed, his gaze falling again and he looked at his hands. The silver reflected the pale moonlight.

“Can’t sleep?” a voice said and Felix snapped his head up, turning around to see Jeongin walk through the garden. “You look distressed,” he noted as he sat down beside Felix on the bench.

“I- Yes,” Felix sighed, tugging at the hem of his shirt. “Got a lot on my mind.”

“I bet,” Jeongin hummed, turning his attention to the sky. “The dream didn’t sound like a pleasant one.”

“It wasn’t,” Felix confirmed. “I’m just… what if that’s what’s going to happen? What if I saw the future?”

“You were alone in your dream right?” Jeongin asked and Felix nodded. “So it’s not really the future. Because you won’t be alone when you get there. We’ll make sure of it.” Jeongin took a deep breath. “We’re here for you Felix and while I can only speak for myself, I’m convinced that Chan, Changbin and Jisung are all willing to do everything in their power to protect you.”

“Thank you, Jeongin,” Felix mumbled, fiddling with his fingers. “Why are you awake?” he asked, looking up from his hands and to Jeongin.

“Had a lot on my mind as well,” Jeongin said, shaking his head. His black curls fell into his eyes and he brushed them to the side, but instead of letting his hand drop, he stroked his fingers over the small brooch around his neck. “Do you think they’re okay?” he asked, eyes fixed on the sky. “Those who didn’t make it out of the castle. Do you think they’re alright?”

“Oh,” Felix whispered, his stomach twisting. “I don’t know honestly. I pray that they’re all alright and that Dongyul and Eunkyung left them alone. Their interest was in me, not the others. But honestly, I don’t know.”

“You know, I keep thinking about Seungmin,” Jeongin said, turning to Felix.

“What do you mean?”

“Just… Is he alright? Is he even still alive?” Jeongin rubbed his temples. “But also, what if Jisung is right and there’s more to Seungmin than we expect? What was Seungmin hiding?”

“Do you think he was hiding something?” Felix asked, tilting his head.

“I don’t know,” Jeongin mumbled. “It didn’t seem like he was. He was just a very nice person who seemed to be nothing but hardworking.” He pursed his lips. “What do you think about him?”

“He’s a genuinely kind person and I don’t know if I can forgive myself if he gets hurt because of me,” Felix said and Jeongin hummed. “I just… thinking back to it, to when he was with me in the tower with Eunkyung and Dongyul. He seemed so calm and collected, compared to before. He was very nervous all the times he spoke to me.” He paused. “Maybe Jisung is right and there’s more to him than you’d expect.”

“The more I think about it, the more sense it makes,” Jeongin said, glancing over at Felix. He took a deep breath. “I hope he made it out of the castle.”

“I hope so too,” Felix said, glancing back to the sky.

There was a moment of silence as the topic of conversation came to an end. Felix just let his eyes wander over the sky, but every time he found his way back to the familiar constellation where his mother had returned to.

“What do you think about Hyunjin and Minho?” Jeongin asked, breaking the peaceful, cold summer night air. “Did you speak to them?”

“No, not a lot,” Felix said, shaking his head; and as he did, silver glitter fell towards the ground. “It seemed like they were kind of reserved for one another.” He shrugged. “Maybe they’re just shy?”

“I guess that would make sense,” Jeongin mused. “I wouldn’t approach humans eagerly if I was a nature spirit.” He paused for a moment, a small smile tugging at his lips. “But they seem nice. I spoke to Hyunjin and he seems really kind. Minho didn’t speak much but he didn’t do anything malicious either so I’m… I think this is good.”

“I think we’ll be way better off with them though,” Felix said, chuckling as he ran a hand through his hair. “I’m certain that it’ll save us days of just wandering in circles.”

“Certainly,” Jeongin said, the smile remaining on his lips. “Maybe we should try and get some sleep,” he continued.

Felix sighed and nodded. “Maybe we should. We’re in for a long journey.”

“We are,” Jeongin said in agreement. He sighed and stood up, immediately offering a hand. “Better get as much rest as we possibly can, my Prince,” he said, teasing grin on his lips.

“True that,” Felix said, smile on his lips and he rolled his eyes as he took Jeongin’s hand. “Are you staying alone in a room?” he asked as they began to head back towards the cottage, the grass rustling under their feet.

“Of course I am,” Jeongin said, raising an eyebrow. “We can’t all share rooms with the dragonguard of our dreams.”

“What- I- No? What?” Felix sputtered, taken aback by Jeongin’s words.

“Oh, I was talking about Changbin and Jisung,” Jeongin said, clearly feigning innocence and Felix narrowed his eyes. Maybe Jisung was a bad influence on Jeongin. “Have you seen the two of them? I cannot  _ stand _ them, my Prince.”

“Their relationship sure is… something,” Felix said, shaking his head. “Let’s go inside and get to bed. I think I’m feeling tired at last.”

“That’s good,” Jeongin said, a warm smile on his lips and he tugged Felix towards the door.

A sudden shiver ran down his spine and he paused in the doorway, turning around to look towards the edge of the forest. It was still and the forest was peaceful, leaves quietly rustling in the gentle wind. He frowned, narrowing his eyes as if that would help him to see beyond the dark shadows of the trees.

“What’s the matter?” Jeongin asked.

Felix took a deep breath, shaking his head as his eyes lingered on the forest for a moment; he turned back to Jeongin and faked a smile. “Nothing. Let’s go.”

They were being watched.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, I've been waiting for hyunho since Nad drew their designs like ???? they ???? honestly. stay tuned for THEM bc theyre the bEST!! Also check out their art @ abowlofberry on twitter!
> 
> Thank you all so much for the endless support for this story ;; it really helps me with the motivation! <3 thank you for reading <3
> 
> You can find me on twt @ pinkpunchmango


	7. Flickering shadows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Black tendrils reaching out, grasping at the little star. Soon it shall be consumed._

The second morning in Hyunjung’s cottage was way more pleasant than the first. For one, Felix didn’t have to wake up after a horrible dream that predicted his future self with blood-stained hands and a chain trying to drag him into the void. But also, this morning, Felix woke up to a very warm bed.

He blinked a couple of times, trying to get rid of the sleep and he forced himself to sit up. He rubbed his eyes, turning to look to his side.

His heart stuttered in his chest.

Chan was still laying beside him, asleep. He looked peaceful, as if he was unaware of their current situation. His face was relaxed.

Felix hadn’t seen him like this in a long time. He had been rather serious ever since the news of Felix’s engagement came and before then he had rarely relaxed like this. It was a moment of vulnerability and Felix couldn’t help but think back to the first time he and Chan had formally met.

Being adopted at a very young age, Chan had been a constant in Felix’s life. He never knew the castle without Chan. But they didn’t get introduced to each other until Chan was eight and Felix five. Felix hadn’t had the chance to say much before Chan started babbling about pledging allegiance to Felix, using words that five year old Felix didn’t understand at all. Felix’s mother had smiled and told Chan to just introduce himself, he would have time to pledge his allegiance later.

“You know,” Felix whispered, his eyes not leaving Chan, “I couldn’t have done any of this without you…” He trailed off, chewing on his bottom lip. “I have Changbin, Jisung and Jeongin, yes.” He took a deep breath, pulling his knees up to his chest. He rested his chin on his knees, not taking his eyes off Chan. “But I can’t imagine a life without you,” he said, his words just barely audible even to himself. “I guess that’s stupid,” he continued, moving to rest his forehead against his knees. “You’re just a friend. My best friend but still just a friend.” He sighed. “I’m so stupid.”

“You’re not stupid,” Chan slurred and Felix widened, head shooting up and back straightening.

“Were you awake this whole time?” Felix asked, his heart picking up pace in his chest.

“No,” Chan said, his voice raspy as he sat up. The blanket fell down as he did and the light from the sun outside caught the few patches of scales that stretched from his back all the way to his abdomen. “I woke up at the last thing,” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. He blinked a couple of times before his blue eyes focused on Felix, as sharp as ever. “Why are you saying that you’re stupid?”

“Nothing,” Felix said, feeling his cheeks heat up. He quickly got off bed, turning his back to Chan to hide his burning cheeks.

“It sounded like something,” Chan insisted, sitting up as he rubbed his eyes. “You don’t have to tell me, but…” He trailed off, studying Felix’s face closely for a moment. “You’re not stupid.”

“Thank you,” Felix said, his cheeks still burning hot. He stared at the pile of clothes on the chair, just letting his mind wander. “We’re really doing this,” he mumbled.

“We are,” Chan said, getting off the bed. The mattress creaked as it shifted and Felix turned to face Chan as Chan walked up to him. “I know you’re scared,” he began, reaching out to take Felix’s hand. His skin was warm against Felix’s, his touch causing warmth to bloom under Felix’s skin where Chan’s fingers touched. “And I know I’ve said it before,” he smiled, “but I’m right here with you. The curse will be broken at the Gangjeon mansion, and I’m going to make sure you get there.”

Felix’s chest tightened, his mind wandering back to what he had said before. Where would he be without Chan? Who would he be without Chan?

“Thank you,” he whispered, giving Chan’s hand a weak squeeze. “I don’t- I don’t know how to repay you Chan,” he continued. “You’ve done so much for me and I-”

“No,” Chan said, shaking his head to cut Felix off. He brought Felix’s hand up to his lips, pressing Felix’s fingers against his lips. “I treasure you,” he said, his breath fanning over Felix’s skin. “You don’t need to repay me.”

“But Chan-”

“No,” Chan said, letting go of Felix’s hand. “I won’t discuss this with you.” The smile on his face was wide and his eyes soft. “We should go and get some breakfast,” he said before Felix could say anything else.

As Chan began to get dressed, Felix remained frozen for a moment. Once again, his mind was racing and his thoughts drifting. As he stood there, a thought passed him by.

Maybe he didn’t want them to be just friends.

  
  
  
  


This morning, Felix wasn’t greeted by a silent main room. The sounds were quiet enough not to wake the guests, but still there. As he entered, he saw Hyunjung standing by the fire and Hyunjin setting the table. Minho was sitting by the table, a book in front of him but as soon as Felix and Chan entered the room, he looked up and fixed his attention on them. His face was expressionless and it was as if he could see through Felix’s very soul.

“Good morning, Felix,” Hyunjin said as he placed a small tower of bowls on the table. He gave Felix a nod and then looked to Chan. “Good morning, Chan.”

“Good morning,” they replied, Chan’s voice just slightly raspier than Felix’s.

“Are we the first ones awake?” Chan asked as he glanced around the room.

“Nope,” Hyunjin said, popping the ‘p’ with a wide smile. “Jeongin was up first today and Jiyeon brought him with her to help in the garden.”

“I see,” Felix said, nodding his head. He looked around the room, between Hyunjung and Hyunjin. “Do you need any help? Is there anything I can-”

“Sit down and I’ll bring you some tea,” Hyunjung said, cutting Felix off.

Felix pressed his lips together and did as told, sitting down by the table. Chan sat down beside him. Despite having woken up not long ago, Chan was on the alert again and stuck to Felix like he was ready to shift into a dragon at any moment. Felix reached out to place a hand on Chan’s thigh, causing Chan to startle in surprise.

“Calm down,” he mouthed, patting Chan’s leg.

Chan took a deep breath and nodded, jaw still tense but his shoulders seemed to relax a little bit.

“So,” Hyunjin said, sitting down in front of them. He rested his elbows on the table, and his chin in his hands. There was something sparkling in his bright green eyes. “I’ve been told that you’re a prince.”

“Oh,” Felix said, pulling his hand back from Chan’s leg to rest it in his own lap. He lowered his head, tugging at his fingers. “I- Yes, that’s true,” he replied, glancing back up at Hyunjin.

“What’s that like?” Hyunjin tilted his head. “How’s it like to live in a castle? Do you have servants helping you with everything? I’ve only seen the castle from afar and the garden is beautiful. Is the garden tended to by a nature spirit? It looks like it’s tended to by a spirit.”

“Uhm.”

“Those were a lot of questions at once,” Minho said, his eyes still not leaving Felix and Chan. “He looks overwhelmed.”

“You have a point,” Hyunjin said, looking at Minho before turning his attention to Felix. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ask that many questions. Sometimes I just can’t stop with them. I’m very sorry.”

“No, no, it’s okay,” Felix protested. “I’m… hm.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know how to answer some of those questions really. I’ve always been the prince and lived in the castle, so to me that’s just normal life. I guess it differs a lot from how you live, but I don’t… I don’t know where to begin.” He bit his lip. “We do have servants. Jeongin is one of them but they don’t tend to my every need, nor help me with everything. I can do most things on my own.”

“And the garden?” Hyunjin asked.

Minho looked like he wanted to facepalm.

Felix couldn’t help but smile. Of course the forest spirit would be the most interested with their garden.

“Our gardener is not a nature spirit, sadly,” Felix said, unable to stop the smile on his face when Hyunjin pouted. “But they are very talented.”

“Oh,” Hyunjin said softly, his lips shaped like an ‘o’. “Please forward my compliments to them when you can. I truly admire their work.”

“I… Yes, I’ll do that. If they survived the attack on the castle.”

“Ah, yes of course,” Hyunjin said, nodding.

“If they did, you can come to see them and talk to them yourself,” Felix suggested and Hyunjin’s eyes seemed to brighten even more.

“Really!?” he asked, his smile growing impossibly wide when Felix nodded. “I’d love to!” he said, placing his hands on his cheeks, but before he could say anything else, the door opened.

“Good morning,” Jiyeon greeted as she stepped inside. She was wearing the same white dress as before, looking as radiant as ever.

Jeongin scurried inside, his hands and arms dirty up to his elbows and in his belt was a small satchel that Felix didn’t recognize. Despite being dirty and his hair tousled, he looked happy.

“Good morning,” echoed in the room from everywhere as Jisung and Changbin also joined them.

It didn’t take long until they all were seated around the table, cups of tea in front of them and a table full of food. The smell of freshly baked bread made Felix feel warm inside and as they sat there, eating and chatting, he felt normal. He didn’t feel like he was the prince that everyone had to dote on, and he didn’t feel like he was on the run from someone who wanted to kill him. He just felt like a normal boy, surrounded by friends.

He felt happy and he paused his eating for a moment, just taking everything in.

“Before you leave,” Hyunjung began as she glanced around the table, seemingly noticing that they were starting to finish up eating. “Jiyeon and I got you some equipment and rations to last out in the forest.”

“You didn’t have anything with you, and you’ll need your equipment to make the journey to the Gangjeon mansion,” Jiyeon filled in.

“I- Thank you so much,” Felix breathed, not knowing what else to say.

“You can restock on food and such in Mondum,” Hyunjung said, taking a sip of her tea. “I think the food we packed for you is enough…” She trailed off and glanced towards Hyunjin and Minho. “If it’s not, these two are decent at finding food.” She took a deep breath and ran a hand through her hair. “I wish I could follow you to the Gangjeon mansion and help you break the curse. But it seems like fate wants you on this path without me.”

“That’s alright. Please do not worry,” Felix said, shaking his head. “You’ve already helped me immensely, Hyunjung. I’m forever grateful and I-” He paused, staring down into his tea as guilt twisted in his gut. “I wish I could repay you somehow.”

“You can,” Hyunjung said and Felix looked up, eyes wide. “Stop Eunkyung. That’s all I’m asking.”

“That’s…” Felix trailed off, licking his lips. “I’ll try. I’ll try my best.”

“We’ll try our best,” Chan said. His hand found Felix’s under the table and he looked at Felix, his eyes so warm and kind it almost hurt. “We’re not leaving you, Felix.” He smiled. “You know that.”

“I do,” Felix mumbled, lowering his head as he gave Chan’s hand a small squeeze. “Thank you.”

“We should get ready to leave,” Minho said before Chan could reply. “We have a long journey ahead of us and I think it’ll be for the best if we try and hurry to get there.”

“You’re right,” Felix said and he took a deep breath, glancing at Chan.

Chan nodded and stood up, still holding onto Felix’s hand. Felix’s face flushed as he caught Jisung’s smug grin. But before he could do anything, Chan pulled him away and towards their room to gather their things.

  
  
  
  


Hyunjung and Jiyeon were clearly not ready to let go of Hyunjin and Minho. It was rather endearing to watch the two women fuss over the two forest spirits, making sure they were prepared and had brought everything with them. He didn’t miss the way Jiyeon and Minho were quietly talking, Minho looking determined as he held onto Jiyeon’s right arm, the one with the bark.

“I feel like I’m interrupting something very intimate,” Jisung suddenly said, causing Felix to jump in surprise. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” he said, ruffling his black and blond hair with a sheepish grin on his face. He turned back to look at the forest spirits and the witch. “Seeing this makes me wonder how it feels.”

Felix looked between the forest spirits and Jisung. There was something sad in Jisung’s eyes and it hurt to see. While the dragonguards were supposed to be like a family for the orphaned, it could never be a true family for them.

“I’m sorry, Jisung,” Felix said, his heart aching in his chest and he reached out to take Jisung’s hand.

“No need to be,” Jisung said, eyes not leaving the family in front of them but he gave Felix’s hand a squeeze. “We can’t all get what we want in life, and to me, the kind of family I got is enough.” He smiled, his eyes still a bit sad. “I have you and Chan. I had your mother.” He glanced over his shoulder. “I even have Changbin, even if he’s stinky.”

Felix couldn’t help but snort.

“According to stories, I hear you and Changbin shared a room for two nights,” Felix said, raising an eyebrow.

Jisung pulled his hand back as if he had been burnt by flames, his cheeks turning a soft pink. “Who told you that?” He narrowed his eyes, gaze immediately landing on Jeongin. “I swear, it wasn’t intentional.”

Felix crossed his arms across his chest.

“We got rooms beside each other,” Jisung began, his cheeks becoming a brighter pink by the second. Felix only hummed. “So we say good night and enter our own rooms. But guess what!”

“What?”

“We walk into the same room,” Jisung exclaimed. “I swear we didn’t stay in the same room on our own volition. It just happened.” He ran a hand through his hair. “We looked around the room, and luckily there wasn’t only one bed, and when we turned back to look towards the doors, one of them was gone. The rooms just merged like that and I feel like that cottage just wanted to toy with us.”

Hyunjung’s words rang in Felix’s mind. The cottage was ever changing and it seemed like it offered a room like the one the guest needed. Felix couldn’t contain the chuckle as he looked Jisung over.

“What?” Jisung asked, frowning. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Felix said with a dismissive wave. He looked over Jisung’s shoulder, eyes quickly finding Chan and Changbin. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to speak to Chan.”

“Of course you do,” Jisung said, rolling his eyes.

Felix didn’t comment, he just left Jisung and walked over to the other dragonguards. They seemed to be talking about the travel and how to best stay alert. When Felix walked up to them, they both quieted down.

“Changbin,” Felix said and Changbin immediately straightened his back a bit. “No need for that,” he continued, shaking his head as he leaned a bit closer. “Maybe you should go and talk to Jisung for a bit.”

“Why?” Changbin looked between Felix and Jisung. “Did something happen?”

“No.” Felix shook his head again. “I think he’s just feeling a bit down right now,” he said and Changbin hummed, brows furrowed and eyes still shifting between Felix and Jisung. “He also called you a part of his family.”

The word family did something to Changbin, as it always did. His gaze softened and his shoulders relaxed. There was a moment of realization on his face and he nodded.

“I’ll talk to him,” he said, his voice softer than before and he left Felix and Chan to walk over to Jisung.

“Some wounds never really heal, do they?” Chan asked as he and Felix both watched Changbin and Jisung.

“When you’ve spent more than half your life on the street, not knowing what a family is like, I can’t imagine that it’ll heal in just a few years,” Felix said and Chan sighed. “And I still believe that more things happened during those years than what he wants to tell us.”

“You’re right.”

Felix sighed and brushed some of his hair away from his forehead. “I don’t doubt that he’ll be able to heal. He just needs time.”

“He’s made great progress since he joined the dragonguards,” Chan noted and Felix hummed.

They were silent for a moment, still just watching Changbin and Jisung. A smile stretched on Felix’s lips when Changbin reached out to take Jisung’s hand.

“I think what amazes me the most is the development in their relationship,” Felix said and Chan snorted. “Remember when they couldn’t stand each other?” he asked, glancing at Chan.

“To Jisung’s defence, Changbin was a bit of a snob when he joined the dragonguards,” Chan said.

“Are we talking about Changbin and Jisung’s relationship?” Jeongin asked, joining the conversation.

Felix couldn’t help but laugh.

“Yes, just recalling memories,” he said and Jeongin hummed, eyes landing on the pair.

“They’ve come really far,” Jeongin noted. “I can’t wait for this to be all over and for things to return to normal. Maybe they can recognize the feelings they have for one another when things calm down.”

“Maybe,” Felix said. He opened his mouth to say something else but it seemed like Hyunjung and the forest spirits were done with their goodbyes. He straightened his back.

“I guess this is it then,” Hyunjin said. He grabbed onto the strap of his bag and took a deep breath. “Let’s go,” he continued, a forced smile on his lips as he looked them all over and began to walk, turning away from the cottage and headed towards the forest.

Minho didn’t say anything, he just kept close to Hyunjin as they walked.

Felix looked over to Chan who only smiled. Felix nodded, mostly to assure himself that he was ready, and he grasped onto the straps of his backpack and followed Hyunjin and Minho.

  
  
  


Time had passed by quickly and all of a sudden, dusk was approaching. The long travel was beginning to take its toll on Felix, as his feet were starting to get really sore, but he bit his tongue and continued. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could endure it, but he was determined to walk at least a little longer.

The sun was still up, but steadily falling closer and closer to the horizon. Occasionally, the golden light was broken by a passing cloud. The path they followed was surrounded by sparsely placed trees, the thin tree tops allowing the light to pass through and create large sunspots on the bright green moss.

It was kind of peaceful and Felix would have enjoyed it if it wasn’t for the fact that they were chased by his fiancé and a witch who both wanted him dead. The feeling of being watched was also adding to the mix and it made everything much worse. It had continued through most of the day and then all of a sudden, it was just gone.

“I think I’m imagining things,” Felix said, glancing around them as they walked.

“What do you mean?” Jisung asked, raising an eyebrow. “What are you imagining?” He looked around them and then over his shoulder.

“I feel like we’re being watched but I haven’t seen nor heard anything since I started feeling like this,” Felix said, pursing his lips. “Maybe it’s just animals and I’m being worried for nothing. It being animals would make sense,” he rambled. “I think whoever or whatever watched us is gone now but…”

Jisung frowned, looking over his shoulder. “I don’t think you’re imagining things,” he said after a moment, lowering his voice and he leaned closer to Felix. “I think someone or something has been following us.”

“Y-you do?” Felix glanced back, his stomach twisting uncomfortably. “Do you think it’s one of Dongyul’s soldiers?”

“Maybe,” Jisung mused, ruffling his hair and he looked between Changbin who was walking at the front with the forest spirits and Chan who was walking with Jeongin. “I don’t know though. I feel like we should have been able to pick up any weird scent. Something at least.”

“Maybe we’re being followed by a spirit guide?” Felix suggested. It didn’t feel like it was a spirit guide that watched them. The sensation that buzzed under Felix’s skin made him way more uneasy than what a spirit guide would have. It was as if his body already knew that whatever was following them didn’t have good intentions.

“We could try and lure it out,” Jisung said, voice low as if he was talking to himself. Felix only hummed, pressing his lips together. “Or just wait for it to come out on its own.” He took a deep breath. “Maybe it’s too dangerous to try and lure it out. Chan wouldn’t like it.”

“I wouldn’t like what?” Chan said, suddenly appearing between Felix and Jisung.

“Nothing, nothing,” Jisung said, waving his hand dismissively. “It doesn’t matter right now,” he continued, glancing back to Jeongin. There was a moment of silence and Jisung furrowed his brows.

Felix followed his line of sight, back to Jeongin. He could see Jeongin gesture something to Jisung but the moment he caught Felix looking, he hid his hands behind his back and smiled at Felix.

“I’m going to talk to Jeongin,” Jisung announced, immediately slowing down and falling behind.

“Uhm,” Felix began, unsure of what to say. He hadn’t really caught up to the situation. “That was odd.”

“It was,” Chan hummed, but then he just shrugged. “Jisung has always been kind of odd so I stopped asking questions.”

“That’s true,” Felix said, a small smile tugging on his lips. He looked ahead, towards Changbin, Minho and Hyunjin. “What do you think about our guides?”

“I don’t know, to be honest,” Chan said after a moment of pondering the question. “I feel like we don’t know them well enough to make a judgement. Of course I don’t think their intentions are bad I just-” Chan paused and ran a hand through his hair. “You know what I mean, correct?”

“I do.”

“I just mean that I don’t know them enough to access them personally, but I trust Hyunjung and I believe that they’ll lead us on the right path, no matter what their reason to agree on this may be.” He paused, eyes still trained on Hyunjin and Minho’s backs. “Hyunjin is very kind and talkative.” Felix hummed. “Minho… I don’t know. He seems pretty closed off, but maybe he has his reasons to be.”

“He probably has,” Felix said. “But he seems kind enough, when he speaks.”

“He does,” Chan said in agreement.

They continued to walk, the shadows around them growing longer as the sun continued to fall in the sky. Felix’s body felt heavy and his feet were aching when Hyunjin grabbed Changbin’s arm, stopping the whole group. They were standing in an extremely small clearing, with thick forest all around. It was good enough to fit a small camp and the light of the fire wouldn’t be all too visible.

“We should stop here for the night,” he said as he looked them over. “Do you think it’s safe?” he asked, turning to Minho.

Minho hummed as he walked over to one of the bigger trees that stood at the edge of the clearing. He placed his hand on the bark, just holding it there before leaning closer to it. Every now and then he let out a low hum, his thumb brushing over the bark. As he stood there, Felix glanced between the two forest spirits, trying to figure out what Minho was doing.

“There hasn’t been much activity around here for a while,” Minho said as he straightened his back. “They say that there’s light footsteps echoing on the forest floor but…” He trailed off, brows furrowed. “They couldn’t make out what it was. Apparently it was changing shape.”

“Maybe a spirit?” Hyunjin suggested and Minho hummed. “If that’s the case, we probably won’t have to worry about anything.”

“But maybe we should take turns with the watch tonight,” Changbin said and Chan nodded, his expression serious and jaw tense. “Maybe even have two on each watch, except the last one.”

“I like that idea,” Chan said, earning a hum of agreement from Jisung. “Better to be safe than sorry.”

“I agree, dragonguard,” Hyunjin said, nodding to himself. “Should we put up the camp and start the fire? I heard you had someone who knew how to cook with you,” he continued, his eyes now gleaming again with that excited curiosity.

“That would be me,” Jeongin said shyly, raising his hand as he took a step towards Hyunjin. He looked around the group. “I could start the fire and start cooking.”

“I’ll help!” Hyunjin offered before anyone else could even open their mouths. “I need to make sure you make a fire safe for the forest,” he added.

“S-sure,” Jeongin said, his ears turning pink and he gestured towards the side of the clearing. “Should I make one here?”

“Looks good to me,” Changbin said and Jeongin nodded, hurrying over there to the spot to start with the dinner. Hyunjin followed him closely behind, smiling the whole time.

Minho remained by the edge of the clearing for a moment, letting his gaze wander the group before he turned to follow Hyunjin. He didn’t say anything.

“He scares me,” Jisung said, joining Felix’s side. “Just a little.”

“I’m sure he has his reasons,” Felix said, repeating what Chan had said earlier. He turned to the dragonguards. “We should get everything settled before Jeongin finishes cooking.”

The three dragons all nodded and they all picked their sleeping spot for the night. Felix sat down on his knees beside his bag and he paused for a second, turning his attention to the sky. As he did, he felt like he could breathe a sigh of relief.

Despite it not being completely dark yet, the stars were beginning to come out. They were still there.

  
  
  
  


The fire was crackling as it began to burn and Jeongin was already working on preparing dinner. As he sat on his knees beside the fire, Hyunjin stuck close to him, standing leaned over him and he watched him with wide, curious eyes. He seemed very focused, his eyes following Jeongin’s every move. Minho wasn’t far behind Hyunjin, just hovering around him at all times, but he didn’t seem to be very interested by Jeongin’s cooking. Not in the way Hyunjin was.

Felix wasn’t close enough to hear what they were saying, but he could see Hyunjin speak every now and then, most likely asking questions and Jeongin replied. At some point, Hyunjin said something that caused Jeongin’s ears to turn pink and Felix couldn’t help but smile.

“Felix,” Chan said, breaking Felix’s focus. Felix looked up from where he sat. “Could I talk to you for a second?”

“I- Sure?” Felix said, blinking before frowning as he looked Chan over. “Is something bothering you?” he asked, tilting his head.

Chan almost never looked nervous. He was almost always serious and carried himself with immense confidence, but right now he almost looked small, tugging at his fingers and his eyes shifting back and forth. He cleared his throat, letting go of his hands and straightened his back.

“I just need to talk to you,” he said and Felix nodded. Worry coiled in his gut. Was something wrong? “Could we go somewhere a bit more private?” he asked, his gaze wandering to the rest of the group.

“Of course,” Felix said, standing up. He still felt confused and he kept his eyes fixed on Chan’s face, trying to read him for signs.

Chan didn’t say anything, he just reached for Felix’s hand and gently tugged him away from the group.

They didn’t wander far, just far enough to be outside earshot of the rest. They were standing by the tree where Minho had been communicating with nature before. Chan let go of Felix hand and took a step away from Felix, turning to face him.

“Is something wrong?” Felix asked again. “You’re acting rather odd right now and it’s making me worried.”

“No, nothing’s wrong. I just-” He paused, just looking at Felix. “I- How’s the mark.”

What?

“What?”

“How’s the mark?” Chan asked, his voice suddenly a lot steadier. “How are you feeling?”

“The mark?” Felix glanced down on his chest, trying to grasp the sudden change in Chan’s demeanor. The nervousness seemed to be gone, but there was something in his eyes that told Felix that this wasn’t what he wanted to talk about. “You pulled me to the side to,” he glanced to the others, “talk about the mark?”

Chan shrugged. “I figured that maybe you didn’t want to talk about it with the others around and I just-” He licked his lips, eyes shifting around. “I needed to make sure you’re alright.”

“I’m… I’m alright,” Felix said, placing his hand on his chest and grasping at the fabric. “It doesn’t hurt and I don’t think it has become bigger.”

“Good. That’s good.”

There was a pause and Felix narrowed his eyes. “What did you really want to talk about?” he asked.

“No that… that was it. I was wondering how you’re doing.”

“Chan,” Felix said, crossing his arms across his chest. “I’ve known you all my life. You can’t tell me that was what you wanted to talk about.”

“I-” Chan paused and he inhaled sharply. “I guess you’re right.”

“What is it then?” Felix asked, his voice softening.

Chan reached out to take Felix’s hand. The simple touch made Felix’s heart flutter. He swallowed hard, his stomach swooping as he waited for Chan to speak.

“Felix, I-” He tightened his grip of Felix’s hand, not daring to look up at Felix. He grabbed Felix’s hand with his other hand. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, the words sounding so broken as they fell from his lips.

“What? What do you have to be sorry about.”

“I should have stuck close to you and protected you,” Chan said, his voice not louder than a whisper. “I’m so sorry, Felix. I took an oath and swore to protect you and I failed.”

“Chan-”

“No.” Chan shook his head, gaze fixed on their hands. “You’re here because I failed you.”

“You never failed me,” Felix said, pulling his hand away from Chan’s grasp. He could hear Chan’s sharp inhale at the action, but he reached out to take Chan’s face in his hands, coaxing him to look at him. “Please look at me.”

So Chan did.

“You never failed me,” Felix whispered, leaning closer to rest his forehead against Chan’s. “You told me that I could not have foreseen this. So neither could you. No one is to blame here but Dongyul and Eunkyung.”

“I-” Chan sighed. Disappointment and shame was written all over his face but there was also something else, something that Felix couldn’t quite make out. “You’re right.”

“Of course I am,” Felix said, pulling back with a triumphant smile on his lips. “You told me this. You’re always right.”

“I’m not,” Chan said, pinching Felix’s cheek and Felix’s smile grew even wider. “You’re being awfully logical tonight, little star.”

“I’m trying my best,” Felix said, taking a deep breath before he hugged Chan. He rested his head on Chan’s shoulder, the nervous tension in his body immediately bleeding away when Chan wrapped his arms around him. He felt safe. “You know I love you, right?”

Chan tensed up for a second and Felix’s eyes widened as he realized what he had said.

“You’re my best friend,” he added quickly, thinking back to what he had said in the morning, before Chan had woken up. “I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

“Yeah,” Chan said, his voice a bit thick and he tightened his hold of Felix for a moment before letting go. “We should go and see if dinner is ready,” he said, turning towards the small campfire.

Felix only nodded, his mouth becoming too dry to speak. Everything was a mess right now. His mind was tangled and he didn’t know what he was doing. He needed to be more careful from now on. What if he told Chan that he was in love with him and Chan didn’t feel the same? What if he accidentally ruined everything?

That could never happen.

Chan was a pillar in Felix’s life and Felix would rather go the rest of his life without telling Chan the truth, rather than lose him.

  
  
  
  


Felix blinked awake as he was carefully shaken. He squinted, his mind foggy as he looked up at Chan. He looked so tired, exhaustion written all across his face. Yet, he was smiling down at Felix and helped him sit up.

“Hey,” he said softly, brushing some of Felix’s hair away from his forehead. “It’s your turn to keep watch,” he continued and Felix nodded, rubbing his eyes.

“Is Hyunjin already up?” Felix asked, his brain finally starting to clear up.

“He is,” Chan said, standing up to move back to his own bedroll. He stifled a yawn as he sat down. “Wake us up if anything happens,” he said, his expression serious and Felix only nodded, slowly standing up himself. “Goodnight Felix.”

“Goodnight Chan,” Felix said, watching as Chan rolled over to sleep.

He turned to the campfire where Hyunjin had already settled. He rubbed his eyes, trying to get rid of the last bit of sleep before walking over to Hyunjin. He sat down beside the forest spirit who greeted him with a warm smile. Felix gave him a nod and the smile on his face felt awkward.

“How was your sleep?” Hyunjin asked, breaking the silence between them.

“Okay, I assume,” Felix said, stretching his arms above his head. “I don’t think I can expect to get quality sleep right now.” Hyunjin laughed, nodding in agreement. “How about you?”

“About the same,” Hyunjin replied, rubbing his eye. “I could do with some more sleep to be honest,” he continued, covering his mouth as he yawned. There was a brief pause as Hyunjin turned his attention to the cloudy sky and Felix glanced around the forest. “You know, I’ve never met a star before.”

“What?”

“A star. I’ve never met one before,” Hyunjin repeated. “I’ve heard a lot of things about them and I’ve read some things, but never met one.” He paused, tilting his head. “I thought you’d give off a bright light.”

“I’m… I’m not a star,” Felix said, lowering his head. “My mother was.”

“Oh.”

“I’m just a half-celestial,” he mumbled, looking down at his hands. His mind briefly thought back to the dream he had, where he had given off that bright silver light. Right now his hands were just… human. And he liked them like that.

“I see,” Hyunjin said as Felix looked up at him, brushing some of his soft pink hair behind his ear. “Truth be told, I haven’t met many other people except Minho, Jiyeon and Hyunjung,” he continued, a sheepish smile on his lips. “I-” He glanced back towards Minho’s sleeping form. “We don’t leave the forest a lot.”

“It’s your home,” Felix said, pulling his knees up to his chest and he wrapped his arms around them. He sighed, still staring into the darkness. “I didn’t leave the castle until now.” He glanced at Hyunjin. “I don’t know if Hyunjung told you about what happened.”

“She told us some of it.” Hyunjin paused. “You’re cursed by Eunkyung and you’re being chased by your fiancé’s troops.” He pursed his lips and frowned as he looked at Felix. “That’s not a very romantic thing to do.”

Felix couldn’t help but snort. “You’re right,” he said and Hyunjin smiled. “It’s the opposite of romantic if you ask me.”

Hyunjin smiled, but slowly the smile began to fade and his expression grew serious, something almost sad gleaming in his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said, turning to look into the dark forest, his gaze distant. “I’m so sorry that… that you had the misfortune to meet her.”

“Can I ask you something?” Felix asked, his stomach twisting. He felt unsettled and when Hyunjin turned to him, his stomach dropped. There was something in Hyunjin’s eyes that made him feel sad. Hyunjin only nodded as a response. “What did Eunkyung do to you?” he asked.

Hyunjin’s whole body tensed up, jaw clenching.

“I’m sorry,” Felix immediately said, lowering his head.

“No, don’t be,” Hyunjin said, taking a deep breath. “You’re cursed by her, of course you would ask.” He paused, glancing over his shoulder at Minho. “I can’t… It’s not my place to speak about it but…” He looked back at Felix, running a hand through his pink hair. “She hurt the forest,” he finally said. “She hurt all of us… There were more forest spirits around before, but she hurt the forest so badly that they-” He lowered his head, and Felix’s heart ached in his chest when a quiet sob made it to his ears.

“I’m sorry, Hyunjin,” Felix whispered. “I shouldn’t have asked.”

“It’s okay,” Hyunjin sniffled, wiping his eyes. “It’s been years. I was really young when it happened and I was just lucky that my tree wasn’t hurt. Jiyeon wasn’t so lucky…”

“Is that why one of her arms..?”

“Yes,” Hyunjin whispered, more tears rolling down his cheeks. He took a deep breath, his eyes glossy but the look in them determined. “I want to help you stop Eunkyung. She has done far too much damage to this world and I will do everything in my power to help you.” He glanced over his shoulders towards Minho again. “I know he doesn’t speak much, or seem like he wants to be here. But trust me when I say that he’s just as determined to help as I am.”

Felix nodded, his mouth feeling dry.

“You should talk to him about Eunkyung,” Hyunjin said. “If you’re curious. You’re in the same situation as him, so maybe that’ll actually help him…”

“Is he also cursed?”

“Not quite, but close enough,” Hyunjin said.

Felix hummed, deciding to end the discussion of this topic here. He turned back to the forest. “I have another question,” he said after a moment and Hyunjin hummed. “Not as… serious as the last one. More like I’m curious about… forest spirits.”

“Oh,” Hyunjin said softly. “Go ahead.”

“Can you communicate with nature?” Felix asked, furrowing his brows.

“Not really,” Hyunjin said after a moment, pursing his lips. “Not in the way you’d expect us to communicate but...”

Felix smiled, leaning back as Hyunjin began to talk about how he communicated with nature through signs. The tiredness in his eyes only grew as he spoke and soon his words became quieter. He continued to talk until his eyelids were too heavy to keep up. Felix told him to get some more sleep, he could manage a watch alone.

He didn’t feel too worried, as he could just wake Hyunjin up in case anything happened.

He kind of felt relieved because the feeling of being watched and followed had finally washed away. Maybe he was just getting used to being in the forest, with all the animals around him.

“Felix?” a voice suddenly called out, distant and just barely audible.

Felix shot up on his feet, eyes wide and he looked around. There were no sounds from the forest. The rustling of the nightlife had stopped. It was like the forest held its breath.

“Felix!” the voice called out again. 

It was closer this time and whoever it was sounded distressed. The voice was familiar but Felix couldn’t pinpoint exactly why it was familiar. But there was something and there was a tug in Felix’s chest, telling him to look for the owner of the voice. Someone needed his help and they needed it now.

When his name rang through the forest again, Felix took a deep breath and walked out into the thicker parts of the woods. He glanced back at Hyunjin who was sleeping soundly.

He wasn’t going to go far and he wasn’t going to stay for long.

The forest thickened around him, wrapping around him like a heavy blanket and he suddenly regretted heading into the woods without waking someone up. He took a deep breath and looked back to where he had come from. He could still see the orange glow of the embers. With a deep breath, he looked forward again.

He needed to find the owner of the voice.

The voice had been quiet for a while now but he knew what he heard. He wasn’t so sleep deprived that he had begun to imagine things. He had heard a familiar voice call his name.

“Hello?” he called out in a hushed voice, looking around the dark forest. The only light immediately around him was the faint bit of silver he emitted himself.

There was a rustle coming from beside him and Felix snapped his head around to look. Even if he squinted, he couldn’t see anything.

“I had expected it to be more difficult to get you alone,” a voice said and Felix spun around.

A figure had stepped out of the shadows. He was dressed in black, a mask covering the lower part of his face and a hood covering the upper part. His leather armor creaked quietly as he moved towards Felix.

“You’re such a nice person,” the figure said. “Running into the dark woods when someone yells for help,” he continued, pulling down his hood to reveal pale blue hair. “Did I sound familiar to you?” he asked. He was getting way too close by now and Felix took a step back, followed by another. Soon he found himself with his back against one of the trees. His heart was picking up speed in his chest but he found himself unable to call for help. “Do you recognize me, Y-Your Highness?” he added, intentionally stuttering.

As he said that, the familiarity of the voice finally clicked in Felix’s mind and he widened his eyes. “Seungmin,” he breathed.

“That would be me,” Seungmin said, pulling down the mask that was obscuring most of his face.

Felix stared at the Seungmin in front of him. This wasn’t the Seungmin Felix knew. He didn’t look the slightest bit like the nervous servant that had tended to Felix just a few weeks ago. His hair was a pale blue instead of brown and when the mask was removed, a large scar across his lips on his left side was displayed. He carried himself in a completely different way than the Seungmin back in the castle. His back was straight and his head held high as he moved with confidence. As he got closer, Felix could see the marks on his face. A vertical line below his bottom lip and three vertical lines under his left

“Hello, Prince Felix.”

“What are you doing here?” Felix asked, taking a step back.

“I have a job to do,” Seungmin replied nonchalantly as he continued to walk towards Felix.

“Wh-what?”

Soon Felix found himself with his back pressed against the tree. It felt very similar to the situation he had had with Dongyul on the balcony and that made him uneasy. His heart was speeding up in his chest and dread coiled in his stomach. He should run, but this was Seungmin. Seungmin who had remained in the tower to let Felix run away.

Before Felix could do anything, Seungmin grabbed his collar. There was a small gust of wind and a dark blue shimmer in the air as a dagger seemed to materialize from Seungmin’s bracers. It looked very much like a hidden blade, but as a being of magic, Felix could tell it was summoned by magic. The blade was cold against his skin as it pressed up against his throat.

“You see, your fiancé hired me to kill you, Your Highness.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we got a bit of everything in this chapter huh. Some Felix pining, some Chan doing w/e he's doing, the cottage trying to get binsung sailing, minho being kinda cool n communicating with the forest, jeongin being a sweetheart and hyunjin being cute. AND SOME SEUNGMIN. finallY. i missed him. did u miss him?
> 
> Seungmin's design is probs soon posted by nad @abowlofberry on twt
> 
> my twt is @pinkpunchmango
> 
> Love you! <3


	8. Endless trails

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Through the forest they walk, closer and closer to the edge._

The dragger was pressed against his throat and Felix could feel the tip of it break through his skin. He let out a quiet whimper, unable to do anything else. He couldn’t process what was happening right now.

Seungmin, sweet and shy Seungmin who had been nothing but kind, was currently pushing Felix up against a tree, a summoned dagger pressed against his throat.

“B-but you… you helped me,” he whispered. “In the tower. You helped m-me escape!”

“I did,” Seungmin replied nonchalantly, shrugging before he tightened the grip of Felix’s collar.

“Then why did you help me?” Felix asked. “If Dongyul hired you to kill me?”

“I didn’t know he was working with Eunkyung, and between you and me, I don’t like that woman.” He began to loosen his grip of Felix’s collar. “I had all the intentions to kill you, My Prince, but I thought I’d play a little game with them.” He let go of Felix.

Felix immediately placed his hand on his neck, feeling the few specks of blood that had been drawn by Seungmin’s dagger. When he pulled back his hand, he exhaled loudly at the sight of the blood.

“Dongyul wasn’t amused,” Seungmin said, wiping the blood off his dagger before the dagger crumbled into small specs of blue light. “Neither was Eunkyung,” he snorted, raising his left hand to show off a metal cuff covered in intricately carved symbols. “Put me into one of these.”

It looked similar to the cuffs Felix had seen in his dream. Too similar for comfort.

He took a deep breath, studying Seungmin’s face. Seungmin raised an eyebrow, waiting for Felix to say something.

“So?” he asked carefully, his whole body trembling.

“So?”

“When are you going to kill me?” he asked, trying his best to keep his voice steady. But there was this slight quiver in it. He was terrified. He didn’t want to die. Not like this. He swallowed hard. “That’s why you’re here, no?” He straightened his back.

Seungmin chuckled, looking down for a moment. When he looked up again, his eyes were serious and the fear in Felix sparked again. He wanted to take a step back but the tree was still pressing against his back.

“I find your fiancé’s sense of humor very lacking, I’m not overly fond of who he’s working with and now he decided to go back on his word. He won’t pay me and now you have another assassin after you.”

Felix just stared. What else could he do?

“So for now, you can consider me your ally.”

“What? But- This makes no sense,” Felix said, running a hand through his hair. “What are you saying? You are paid to kill me.”

“Was.”

“What?”

“I was paid to kill you,” Seungmin clarified. “I’m not paid to do that anymore. So until I get a new job, I’m planning on traveling with you and making your fiancé’s life as difficult as possible.”

“This is a lot,” Felix said and Seungmin snorted. “So you’re not going to kill me?”

“If I wanted to kill you, I would have done so on the night of your engagement,” Seungmin said. His voice was flat and emotionless and it made Felix’s gut twist. He didn’t like this at all. “Or now.” He raised a hand to run it through his hair and as he did, Felix caught the glimpse of the tattoos on his skin. “My point is that if I would have still wanted to kill you, you wouldn’t be breathing now.”

Felix nodded, his mouth dry. He knew exactly what Seungmin was and that scared him. He took a deep breath. “So did you just… fake it?”

“Fake what?”

“Everything!”

“That was kind of my job.”

“Why were you at the castle? Why did you try to befriend me? Why didn’t you just kill me right away?”

“I needed so gather information on you,” Seungmin said. “I had to get to know you, know who you’re the closest too, what your guards are like and how the security of the castle worked.” He paused. “You see, I’m not overly fond of rushing into things. I much prefer knowing about the enemy and the place. I don’t like being kept in the dark.”

“This is too much,” Felix mumbled, feeling a headache slowly rolling in.

“Maybe we should head back to your camp,” Seungmin said, turning to look at the direction Felix had come from. “I’m sure your traveling companions are going to have opinions on this.”

“Please just-” Felix rubbed his temples, the headache now settling in. “Let’s just go back and talk there. Maybe even talk later.”

“Would you prefer me like this?” Seungmin asked, chuckling when Felix’s frown deepened. He pulled out a small necklace from under his armor. A faint, yellow light erupted from the necklace as he wrapped his fingers around the pendant. “Or like this?” he asked when the light faded.

In front of Felix was the Seungmin he had gotten to know, wearing the same armor as he had been previous but with brown hair, no marks on face or arms and the large glasses resting on his nose.

“Which one is your true form?” Felix asked, his voice wavering. He didn’t know why he asked. Not when he knew the answer to his question.

The facade immediately faded and in front of Felix was the scarred and marked Seungmin.

“Shall we?” Seungmin asked, gesturing towards the camp.

Felix only nodded, turning to head back.

  
  
  


“Felix?” Hyunjin asked as Felix returned to the camp. He blinked a few times, rubbing his eyes to get rid of the last remaining sleep. “Where did you go? I must have dozed off. I’m sorry. I- Oh.” He paused when his eyes landed on Seungmin. “Who is this?” he asked, tilting his head as he stood up and moved closer. “Who are you?”

“I’m Seungmin,” Seungmin replied, his face blank and emotionless. He remained unfazed as Hyunjin reached him, looking at him from every angle.

“You’re not natural,” Hyunjin stated. Then he widened his eyes as he realized what he had just said. “I’m so sorry! I probably shouldn’t have said that. That was really mean of me and I’m so-”

“It’s okay,” Seungmin said, cutting Hyunjin off with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Felix watched the interaction. He was about to say something when someone else joined the conversation.

“Who are you?” Chan demanded and Felix spun around to look at him. He looked unexpectedly awake for someone who was seemingly asleep just a minute ago.

“I’m almost hurt, dragonguard,” Seungmin said, mocking tone as he turned to Chan. “I guess my disguise worked very well then.”

“Seungmin,” Chan greeted, his voice stiff and he remained alert even at the sight of a familiar face. He studied Seungmin’s face and he clenched his jaw. He must have realized what Seungmin was. “What are you doing here?”

“Dongyul and his little band of soldiers are closing in on you, and he sent a new assassin after you. An incompetent bastard if you ask me, but I thought I’d warn you.”

The tension between Seungmin and Chan was heavy. Felix looked between them and when Chan glanced at him, his eyes immediately fell on Felix’s neck. Realization flashed across his face and his eyes darkened.

Before Felix could react, Chan had grabbed Seungmin by the collar.

“Chan-”

“What did you do to him?” Chan hissed, yanking Seungmin closer. “Why are you really here?”

“Due to circumstances, and my ex-employer having a lacking sense of humor, I lost my employment and I feel like messing with him,” Seungmin replied, seemingly unbothered by Chan. “For now, I’m your ally and I will do all I can to protect the prince.” Something gleamed in his eyes and he grinned. “With soldiers and a trained assassin on your trail, one would think that you as a dragon guard would start to train the prince in some self-defence. Or do you intend to be his knight in shining armor?”

Chan tightened his grip of Seungmin’s collar, a unhuman growl rumbling in his chest. “Do you think this is a game?” he asked, voice dangerously low and the patches of scales on his hands were slowly growing bigger. “Maybe it hasn’t occurred to you, but the life of actual people are at stake here. People I care for,” Chan sneered. “But I don’t expect someone like you would understand.”

“You’re saying that like it’s going to affect me.” Seungmin grinned. “Why don’t you change and show your little prince what you really are, dragon?”

“Hey,” Felix said, placing his hand on Chan’s arm. “Let’s calm down for a bit and talk about it.” He looked between them. “No need to rile each other up like this. It won’t help us at all. We’re allies, right?”

“Fine,” Chan snapped, letting go of Seungmin’s collar.

“What’s happening?” Jisung asked, sitting up. He looked around the camp, eyes bleary and hair tousled. He blinked a couple of times before narrowing his eyes, his gaze landing on Seungmin. “Seungmin?”

“Nice to see someone recognizing me,” Seungmin said, raising an eyebrow as he glanced to Chan.

Chan let out a low hiss, but he bit his tongue and walked over to Felix instead. “Are you okay?” he asked, grabbing a hold of Felix’s arm. As he did, it felt like Felix’s legs gave up under him and he leaned his weight on Chan.

“I’m okay,” he said, grabbing onto Chan’s arm as well. “I’m just very shaken.” His free hand found its way up to his neck. “He didn’t intend to kill me,” he said, looking in Seungmin’s direction.

Seungmin was crouching down beside Jisung, seeming to be explaining the situation. Jisung blinked again before he frowned and reached to shake Changbin awake.

“What’s going on?” Minho asked, also seeming to be a quick riser. His sharp gaze wandered over everyone before he settled on Seungmin. His eyes narrowed and he took a step closer to Seungmin. “Who are you?” He looked Seungmin up and down. “What are your intentions?”

“I’m Seungmin,” Seungmin replied slowly, eyeing the forest spirit warily before looking to Felix. “I promise my intentions are good. As good as the intentions of a mercenary can be.”

“What do you mean?” Minho demanded, taking yet another step towards Seungmin.

“I don’t intend on hurting you,” Seungmin said, placing one hand on his chest and raising the other one. “I am here because I want to mess with someone who refused to pay me.” He looked to Felix, then to Chan and the others. “And beside, you treated me nicely at the castle so I feel generous enough right now.” He took a deep breath, facing Minho again. “I want to help you.”

“He did help Felix to get out of the tower,” Jisung pointed out, his voice still raspy from sleep. He glanced between everyone, his attention mostly on Chan and Changbin. “Without him, we don’t know if Felix would even be alive.”

“He does have a point,” Changbin grumbled after a moment of consideration.

Chan hissed, jaw clenching before he took a deep breath. “You’re right.” He turned to Felix. “It’s your choice,” he said, shoulders slumping. “If you want him to join us, then so be it.”

“I… He saved my life,” Felix whispered, looking at Seungmin. “Do you know what way Dongyul’s soldiers are traveling?”

“I don’t know the details, but I know what way they planned to take,” Seungmin replied, his eyes wandering over the group. “Maybe we should go over that in the morning,” he continued. “You all look like you’re about to fall over from exhaustion.”

“We’re not just going to fall asleep when you’re here,” Chan sneered and Seungmin shrugged.

“I’m just saying that the travel ahead is rough and you’re not making it easier on yourself by not sleeping.”

“He’s right,” Felix mumbled.

“I’ll stay awake with him,” Minho said. Hyunjin blinked, tilting his head but before he could ask, he locked eyes with Minho and there was a moment of silence as the two of them seemed to communicate in their own way.

“Let’s go to sleep,” Felix said, reaching out to take Chan’s hand.

Chan nodded, allowing himself to be pulled away from the fire and back to their bedrolls.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered when they were out of earshot of the rest. He hung with his head in shame. “I shouldn’t have gotten so worked up. I’m sorry you-”

“No, don’t apologize,” Felix said, tightening his grasp of Chan’s hand. “I get it, I really do. It’s-”

“I’m sorry,” Chan said, taking a deep breath before straightening his back. “I should have stayed calm and we could have talked about it.”

Felix sighed. “It’s late,” he mumbled, still holding onto Chan’s hand as he looked towards Minho and Seungmin.

The two of them were settling down by the fire, a noticeable distance in between them. Seungmin seemed somewhat relaxed, but his shoulders were tense and his eyes didn’t leave Minho. Minho didn’t look away either.

“Do you think he’s honest?” Chan asked, eyes still fixed on Seungmin.

“He did get me out of the tower,” Felix said, looking between Minho and Seungmin as the two continued their staring match. “I don’t know what would have happened if he hadn’t.”

“That’s true…” Chan mumbled. “I guess that’s true.”

“Let’s just-” Felix took a deep breath. “Let’s just go to sleep,” he mumbled, and as he exhaled he felt as if he was deflating. “I’m tired,” he continued, rubbing his eyes.

“Let’s go to bed,” Chan agreed, his eyes lingering on Seungmin just for a moment before he pulled Felix back to his bedroll.

  
  
  


Felix was walking in the middle, his eyes stuck on Hyunjin, Seungmin and Chan’s backs as they walked at the front. He could see Hyunjin walking in between Seungmin and Chan, probably a very wise decision as Felix was unsure what they would do to one another should they be left alone. He could also see Hyunjin just talking non-stop. He was gesturing here and there, while both Seungmin and Chan seemed to listen.

He was content with walking in the middle and walking alone. It gave him some time to think and reflect on what had happened the previous night.

Suddenly there was a movement in front of him and Felix snapped out of his own thoughts. He blinked as Minho joined his side. The forest spirit didn’t say anything. He barely even acknowledged Felix’s existence, except for staring at him with that hollow gaze.

“Do you know what Seungmin is?” he finally asked.

“What he is?” Felix asked, frowning as he looked between Minho and Seungmin.

“I was awake with him, after you went to get some more sleep. I don’t like talking much and he didn’t speak to me either but…” He trailed off, furrowing his brows. “He’s not natural.”

“Hyunjin said the same thing,” Felix mused.

“Forest spirits has a connection to nature in a way no other creature has. I can tell that you’re a half-celestial being. I can tell that the dragons were born like that. Jeongin is a human. Hyunjung is a human, but her magic is from within and it is something she’s born with. But Seungmin… his magic isn’t natural. What he is isn’t something he was born as.” He lowered his head, mumbling something to himself. “I’ve never met someone like this. I don’t know what he is.”

Felix kept his gaze fixed on Seungmin’s back. “He’s a blade mage,” he finally said, turning to Minho.

“What’s that?”

“I don’t know much about them, but I know their magic isn’t something they were born with. Their magic is limited to only summoning weapons and…” He trailed off. “They’re very dangerous… Usually work in the underworld of society, doing the dirty work for those with money. That’s all I know.”

Minho hummed, brows furrowed as he seemed to think about what Felix just said.

“I don’t like him,” he said at last.

“What do you mean?” Felix asked, furrowing his brows. “I mean, I don’t blame you, he did come off kind of cold to you, but-”

“I don’t know what his intentions are,” Minho continued, fixing his gaze on Seungmin. “I can’t tell if they’re good or bad.”

“You can tell people’s intentions?”

“Somewhat,” Minho replied, not bothering to look at Felix. “Not perfectly, but I can usually figure out if their intentions are good or bad.”

“Oh.” Felix licked his lips, glancing towards Seungmin. “But you can’t with Seungmin? Do you think he has bad intentions?”

“I don’t know,” Minho mused. “I’m getting both good and bad from him.”

“He did say that he’s only doing this to anger his past employer, so maybe that’s why his intentions aren’t clear?” Felix suggested.

“Maybe,” Minho said, brows furrowed and his eyes never left Seungmin. “Maybe.”

  
  
  


Felix could feel Chan’s gaze burn and he didn’t dare to look around. He was standing in front of Seungmin, the sun starting to set in the east and the both of them in just their pants and undershirt. As he stood in front of Felix, wearing only a short-sleeved undershirt, Felix could see all the markings of a blade mage.

He had never seen one before, but he had been warned about them and the magic that was tattooed into their skin was the easiest way to spot one of them.

Thick lines wrapped around Seungmin’s arms and fingers, seemingly without any specific pattern.

“I want you to try and hit me,” Seungmin said, bringing Felix’s attention to him.

“What?”

“I want you to hit me,” Seungmin repeated, slower this time. He took a step closer to Felix, looking him up and down. “Try and hit me.”

“I- Okay?” Felix said, eyes flickering back and forth as he tried to figure out what Seungmin was thinking.

“Just try to hit me,” Seungmin said after a moment.

Felix swallowed hard. Then he swung his fist.

Seungmin caught his arm and before Felix could react, Seungmin had twisted his arm around and held him in a wrist lock. But as soon as he got him, he let go and Felix blinked, not really able to keep up with what just happened.

“You need to be faster and less predictable,” Seungmin said. “Lesson one, know when to strike your opponent least expect it and don’t swing in a wide arch, it’ll be too obvious.”

“Okay,” Felix said, nodding.

“Again.”

Felix tried again. This time he tried to strike right away and swing less with his fist, but Seungmin reacted with the speed of lightning and Felix found himself in a wrist lock again.

“Better,” Seungmin said, letting go of Felix’s arm. “Try to hit me with your non-dominant hand.”

They kept going for god knows how too long. Felix lost track of time as they continued the training session. The only thing that indicated the passing of time was the shift among their group members as Jeongin began to prepare dinner and the light of the sun that shifted from bright to a muted gold until it eventually disappeared below the tree line.

“Again,” Seungmin said.

“Again?” Felix asked. His wrists were red from the countless amounts of wrist locks Seungmin had gotten him in. He glanced towards the fireplace. “Can’t we-”

“Again,” Seungmin said, his voice sterner this time. “You won’t stand a chance against Dongyul and Eunkyung if you don’t train. You are unprepared.”

“If he says he wants a break, give him one,” Chan said, stepping up to Seungmin. “You can’t make all the decisions here. He needs to train, yes, but he also needs some rest.”

The way Chan’s voice was lowering and the low growl sounded in his chest was signs enough that Felix needed to step in. Chan was getting angry and he wouldn’t be happy with himself if he did something while angry.

“Okay, break it up,” Felix said, stepping in-between the two. His breathing was still heavy from his multiple tries to hit Seungmin as he looked at them. “It’s okay, Chan,” he said, meeting Chan’s gaze.

Chan’s expression hardened and he took a deep breath before stepping back.

“Go ahead,” he said, his voice tight. Felix didn’t like this. He sounded hurt. “I’ll help Jeongin.”

“Chan-” he began but Chan had turned around and was walking towards the fire. Felix swallowed hard, his chest feeling tight and his stomach twisting. He sighed, his shoulders slumping before he turned to Seungmin.

Seungmin had his arms crossed over his chest and seemed to be waiting for Felix. “Again,” he said, letting his arms drop to his side.

Felix nodded, moving to stand in front of Seungmin. In the corner of his eye, he could see Changbin walk up, leaning against a nearby tree as he watched Seungmin and Felix intently.

They continued until Felix barely could lift his arms. He fell to his knees on the mossy ground, his breathing heavy. Seungmin didn’t even look sweaty. Why was it so difficult?

“You did good,” Seungmin said as he walked past Felix. “We’ll continue tomorrow,” he continued, not sparing Felix a second look as he grabbed his things and walked over to the edge of the camp.

“Felix,” Changbin said, reaching out to help Felix stand up but before Felix could stop himself, he swatted Changbin hands away from him. Changbin paused, eyes widening a bit as he took a step back from Felix.

“I’m sorry!” Felix exclaimed when he realized what he had just done. “I don’t know what- I’m so sorry Changbin!” He shook his head, this time accepting Changbin’s extended hand. “I don’t know what happened. I’m-”

“It’s okay,” Changbin said, smile tugging on his lips. “You don’t have to apologize. Training sometimes scrambles your brain a little.”

Felix rubbed his temples. “How do you do this all day?” he asked and Changbin chuckled.

“We’ve been doing it for years,” he said with a shrug. “You get used to it after a while.”

“I guess.”

“Maybe you’d like to talk to Chan before going to sleep,” Changbin said, lowering his voice as they began to walk towards the campfire. “He looked angry. Probably not at you but he didn’t look okay.”

“I’ll talk to him,” Felix said, biting his lower lip. “I’ll talk to him right aw-”

“At least eat dinner first,” Changbin said. Felix looked towards Chan who already had received a bowl of food. He was sitting to the side, poking around in the food. “Let him be alone for a little bit.”

  
  
  


Chan was sitting by the edge of the camp, staring into the darkness of the forest. He had offered to take the first shift, along with Hyunjin, and while the others were getting ready to sleep, he had pulled away to the side.

Felix cautiously approached him, his heart drumming nervously in his chest. He sat down beside Chan, not saying anything at first. Chan didn’t even glance at him and it made Felix’s chest hurt.

“Are you okay?” he finally asked, breaking the silence. He took a deep breath. “I know you don’t like Seungmin and I didn’t- I don’t-”

“I’m okay,” Chan finally said, cutting Felix off. “I don’t like Seungmin but I-” He sighed, turning to Felix. He looked sad and it broke Felix’s heart. “I shouldn’t have gotten angry.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I just- I can’t control it.”

“It’s okay.”

“It’s not,” Chan snapped, the harshness of his tone causing Felix to startle in surprise. Realizing what just happened, Chan rested his face in his hands, rubbing his eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”

“Don’t apologize,” Felix whispered, placing his hand on Chan’s arm. “It’s okay to be angry and fed up. It’s okay to snap sometimes. I know that it’s a lot right now and… and I just want you to know that I’m here for you, just like you’re here for me.”

Chan’s body relaxed a bit and he lifted his head to face Felix again.

“I just… I don’t like being angry. I don’t like others seeing me angry,” Chan mumbled, his shoulders slumping.

“I know,” Felix replied, brushing his fingers along Chan’s arm until he reached his hand. He carefully laced their fingers together. He shifted a bit, leaning his head on Chan’s shoulder and looked towards their traveling companions. “That’s why you kept away when Dongyul arrived?”

Chan inhaled sharply and Felix pressed his lips together.

“I was,” he said after a moment of pondering Felix’s question.

Felix’s heart fluttered. He wasn’t sure what to make of his own emotions. Did he want Chan to have been jealous of Dongyul?

“Something was off with him from the start and I didn’t like the way he treated Jisung or asked you personal questions,” Chan continued before Felix could say anything. “I’m your guard and your best friend. I’m supposed to protect you and I… I know I should have stuck around when he was there, but he was making me angry and I didn’t want you to see me like that.”

“You know I don’t… I don’t mind. You know that right?” Felix said, brushing his thumb over Chan’s gloved hand. “Even if you’re angry, I wouldn’t want you to stay away from me.”

Chan sighed, but he didn’t reply. Felix knew better than to push the matter further. He had a feeling that there was more behind Chan’s anger, but he didn’t want to upset Chan. Instead he yawned, reaching up to rub his eye with his free hand.

“You should sleep,” Chan said, causing Felix to look up at him.

“But I want to sit here with you,” he said, pouting.

“Too bad, little one,” Chan said, letting go of Felix’s hand to poke his nose, a smile so bright on his lips. Maybe he was the star and not Felix. “You need some sleep before your watch.”

“You’re right,” Felix grumbled, averting his eyes as his cheeks heated up and he stood up. He took a deep breath, ruffling his own hair as if that would help him focus. “Goodnight Chan.”

“Goodnight, little star.”

  
  
  


Felix’s body was sore after the first training session with Seungmin. It didn’t help that the traveling continued to wear on him. But he was starting to feel better at the end of the days, despite having traveled far. When they sat down for lunch, he didn’t feel like he was about to die from sore feet. Just the aching muscles from his training session.

He sat down beside Jisung, off to the side of the group. He just watched the rest of the group, mostly keeping his eyes on Chan. He could see Chan eyeing Seungmin closely, his brows furrowed and eyes narrowed. The two of them had continued to give each other cold stares the whole day but at least they hadn’t fought.

“Do you think Changbin dislikes me?” Jisung asked, breaking Felix’s train of thoughts.

“Excuse me what?”

Jisung turned to Felix. “Okay, rephrasing. Do you think Changbin still finds me annoying?”

“Probably,” Felix answered with a shrug, followed by a grin.

“Shut up,” Jisung said, bumping Felix’s shoulder. “Answer it honestly. Do you think he thinks of me as his annoying little brother or..?”

“Or what?” Felix asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jisung mumbled something under his breath, looking down into his food.

“I think I’m in love with Changbin.”

“Oh,” was all Felix could say. “Oh.”

“Yeah,” Jisung muttered, glancing up at Felix for a split second. “I know… I just don’t know what to do about it.” He took a deep breath. “I should tell him, but I don’t know if this is the right time and beside, he probably doesn’t like me in that way.”

“You don’t know that until you’ve told him,” Felix said softly, knowing fully well that he shouldn’t talk on this matter. He bit his lip.

“We spent way too much time hating each other and then I’ve just been… annoying.” He laughed to himself, turning to Felix with a grin on his lips. “Would you fall in love with the guy who dropkicked you on your first day in the ranks?”

“I mean… Maybe not at first, but that was years ago,” Felix said, furrowing his brows. “I’m quite sure he has moved past that. You two both moved past the petty rivalry thing you had going on.”

“It wasn’t petty,” Jisung protested, pouting when Felix raised an eyebrow. “Okay maybe it was a bit petty at times but I had a good reason to hate him!” he said, lowering his voice so the others wouldn’t hear.

“He didn’t even have a chance to say anything before you decided to hate him,” Felix pointed out.

“Okay maybe you’re right,” Jisung said, pout intensifying as he looked towards Changbin. “But I’ve had a change of heart now. I like him. I’ve liked him ever since the… the incident and now I think I want to be more than friends.”

“Then go over and talk to him,” Felix said, offering Jisung a smile when Jisung turned to him with wide eyes. “I think he too has had a change of heart regarding you.”

Jisung was quiet for a moment, studying Felix’s face closely. “You do?” he asked. “Like, for real?”

“For real.”

Jisung took a deep breath and placed his bowl to the side. “I’m going to talk to him,” he said and he stood up.

Before Felix could say anything, Jisung began to walk towards Changbin who was in the middle of a conversation with Hyunjin and Jeongin. Minho was sitting beside Hyunjin, seemingly not participating in the conversation but listening in.

They all paused as Jisung walked up to Changbin.

Felix had expected Jisung to pull Changbin to the side to talk. He hadn’t expected Jisung to promptly walk up to Changbin, grab him by the collar and kiss him.

There was a weird stillness over their camp and as Felix’s gaze wandered over their traveling companions, he locked eyes with Chan. Chan, who was now completely ignoring Seungmin beside him, looked between Felix and Jisung, silently demanding an answer.

Felix just shrugged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eyYYYYY another chapter uwu finallyyyyyyy. sorry it took a while. the past week was. something for sure haha 
> 
> But here they are, the whole ensemble! between u n me, i love this seungmin. isn't he great? Also look at binsung making relationship progress. unlike some...  
> I'm gonna try and do a compilation of Reign of stardust fanart so I can share it and u can see all the wonderful art ; ; <3 
> 
> You can find me on @pinkpunchmango on twt <3
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!


	9. Moonlit fields

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Nestled in-between two forests it resides, the town on the moonlit field._

“Are you the one behind Jisung’s little stunt?” Chan asked as he joined Felix in the middle of the group. He glanced back over his shoulder, towards where Changbin and Jisung were walking. “Changbin has been looking flustered ever since.”

“I only said Jisung should talk to him,” Felix said, raising both his hands. “I did not tell him to go up and kiss Changbin in the middle of a conversation.” He pouted. “I refuse to be accused of this.”

“I didn’t accuse you,” Chan said, affection lacing his tone and a wide smile stretched on Felix’s lips. “I was just curious.”

“I only told him to talk to Changbin because he decided to be stupid and ask if Changbin disliked him,” Felix said, rolling his eyes at the same time as Chan did.

“Am I surprised?” Chan asked, then shaking his head. “Not at all.”

“He did go a bit extreme,” Felix agreed and Chan laughed. “But I guess it worked out?” he continued with a shrug, looking towards Changbin and Jisung.

They weren’t paying much attention to anything around them, as they only had eyes for each other. They weren’t holding hands either, but they were walking close enough for their hands to be brushing together.

“I guess it did,” Chan mused, suddenly turning serious. Before Felix could ask about it, he continued to speak. “How are you feeling after the training yesterday?”

“Doing okay,” Felix replied, brows furrowed by the sudden shift in topic but he didn’t mind asking about it. “I’m a bit sore but I think it could be worse. It might get worse.” He scrunched his nose. “After all, yesterday was just the first training session and Seungmin said it’s only going to get more intense.”

“That makes sense I guess,” Chan said, his voice strained. There was a short pause. “I’m sorry I didn’t help you train.”

“What?”

“Seungmin is right. With the threats, it would make sense to train you so you can be better prepared, should either Dongyul or Eunkyung catch up to us,” Chan said, averting his eyes to avoid Felix’s gaze. “I should have suggested training before. I should have thought about that and I’m sorry that I didn’t.”

“You don’t have to think about everything, Chan,” Felix said, reaching out to take Chan’s hand. Chan stiffened for a second before relaxing when Felix gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “Anyone could have thought about it, so don’t blame yourself for not thinking about it.” He sighed and tightened his grasp of Chan’s hand. “A lot of things happened very fast. I didn’t think about training either.”

“You’re right,” Chan said after a moment.

“It’s been a lot,” Felix said, looking ahead. “The past weeks have been… a lot.”

“Yes,” Chan said, chuckling to himself. “They sure have been something.”

Felix opened his mouth, about to wonder about the curse but he promptly shut his mouth. He had to remind himself that the curse would be broken at the mansion. There was no use in speculating.

“How much further until we reach Mondum?” Felix asked instead, changing the subject once again. “Do you know?”

“I don’t,” Chan said, thinking for a moment. “But my guess is that we’ll reach it by tonight or tomorrow morning.” He paused, eyes fixing on Minho’s back. “Minho or Hyunjin should know for sure. They’re probably more used to traveling these paths by foot.”

“You’re right,” Felix said, following Chan’s line of sight. He looked at Minho’s back for a moment before shifting to Hyunjin.

Hyunjin was walking in between Seungmin and Minho, seemingly trying to strike up a conversation but with little response from either. The only one who seemed to be interested in Hyunjin was Jeongin, who was walking beside Minho but he was looking towards Hyunjin every now and then, wide smile on his lips and a twinkle in his eyes. Felix couldn’t help the somewhat fond smile that stretched on his lips as he watched Hyunjin trying to explain something with extreme enthusiasm.

“He’s kind of cute,” Chan commented. “Hyunjin, I mean.”

Felix hummed in agreement.

“In a little brother kind of way,” Chan continued. “I haven’t spoken too much with Minho though. He’s clearly not the talkative type but… have you spoken to him?”

“Some. He asked me about Seungmin.”

“Oh?”

“Both he and Hyunjin could sense that something wasn’t… natural with Seungmin.”

Chan snorted and mumbled a quiet ‘nothing is natural about him’. Felix decided to ignore that.

“They have never met a blade mage before,” Felix continued. Chan tensed up for a second, his grip of Felix’s hand tightening before he took a deep breath and relaxed again. “I don’t know much about blade mages either, but I told him what I knew about them.”

“No one knows much about them,” Chan said, his jaw tense and voice just a bit strained. “No one but the creators of the blade mages and the blade mages themselves.”

Felix’s gut twisted uncomfortably at the thought. A blade mage was created by another mage, usually functioning as their bodyguard. But sometimes mages could just make blade mages if they were bored and the lone blade mages ended up in the darker parts of society.

“I think… I want to think that we’re doing the right thing by trusting him,” Felix said. “Trusting Seungmin.”

Chan hummed, but the sound was clearly disapproving. “I will trust your judgement,” he said after a moment.

Felix licked his dry lips.

“If you trust him, I shall too,” Chan said, shoulders slumping. “As Jisung said before, he did save you in the tower and he was the one who helped us to get everything together to get you out of there. I just…” He looked towards Seungmin. “I have a gut feeling and I just… I really hope it turns out to be nothing.”

“I don’t blame you for being unsettled around him,” Felix said, giving Chan’s hand a squeeze. “He has an ability to pull the right strings to upset people, I’ve noticed.”

Chan snorted but he didn’t say anything.

“We’ll be fine,” Felix said, mostly trying to convince himself.

This time it was Chan’s turn to give Felix’s hand a reassuring squeeze and a comforting smile. “We’ll be fine.”

  
  


They reached Mondum when the sun began to set. The village presented itself in the middle of Avaweald and Sysiweald. It wasn’t much for the world, but Felix had never seen a village this small. As the night was approaching, lanterns were already lit and he could see light coming from within houses. It seemed cozy and he wanted nothing but to speak to the residents. This was a village under his rule, after all. But he knew that was impossible.

“We’ll go ahead,” Chan said as he and Changbin stepped away from the group. His blue eyes wandered over their group before settling on Felix, the look in them softening just the slightest. “Felix can’t go into the village. It’ll raise suspicion.”

“And two dragonguards are not suspicious?” Seungmin asked, crossing his arms across his chest.

Chan frowned. “What? You’d rather follow me into the village?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Why not?” Seungmin said with a shrug. “I’ll be less eye catching than you.”

“You sure about that, blade mage?” Chan hissed.

“I’m pretty sure, dragonguard,” Seungmin retorted, grabbing his necklace. The yellow light from before erupted and the brown haired Seungmin was back. “I think I’ll be the better candidate. A human is less suspicious, compared to a half-dragon.”

Chan grabbed Changbin’s arm before Changbin could lurch at Seungmin. Seungmin didn’t even flinch as the dragon snarled at him, the sound too guttural and low to be human.

“Call me that one more time and I’ll make sure you won’t ever speak again,” Changbin warned.

“Noted,” Seungmin said, eyeing Changbin closely. “What I mean is that if we want to stay hidden, maybe Changbin shouldn’t walk into the village together with Chan. Dragons together are always assumed to be dragonguards, and those are rare out here.”

“He’s right,” Jisung said, chewing his lip. “But you didn’t need to call him half-dragon,” he added quietly. If Seungmin heard him, he showed no sign of acknowledgement.

“Will you two be fine?” Felix asked, looking between Seungmin and Chan.

“I’m sure we’ll manage,” Seungmin said before Chan could.

“We only need to find somewhere to stay the night,” Chan added, his voice strained. “I don’t think it’ll take us long.”

“How about restocking then?” Minho asked, his eyes lingering on Seungmin for a moment.

“We can do that after we get somewhere to sleep,” Chan said. Minho hummed. “If we can hide Felix away, we can go into town and get our supplies later.”

“Can’t we just stay outdoors?” Hyunjin asked.

“Staying inside would further help us to hide from sight,” Seungmin mused. “If Dongyul and Eunkyung now have dragons on their side, we need to be as hidden as possible and maybe we can get a place in the outskirts of town, so we can just leave quickly in the morning.”

“I wouldn’t mind sleeping inside for at least a night,” Jeongin said quietly.

Chan took a deep breath. “We’ll be right back,” he said, gesturing for Seungmin to follow him.

They all watched as the two of them began to walk across the field and towards the open village of Mondum. There was a pause as they stood there, until Changbin spoke.

“I need a moment,” he said, voice strained and he turned around to walk back further into the forest. He didn’t spare any of them a glance.

There was a pause before Jisung stood up. He turned to Felix, opening his mouth to say something but then he simply pressed his lips together and followed Changbin into the forest.

“Why did Seungmin call Changbin a half-dragon?” Hyunjin asked as Jisung too disappeared out of view. “He’s a full dragon isn’t he?” He frowned to himself.

“He’s a full dragon,” Felix said, looking towards where Jisung and Changbin had gone. “But half-dragon is like… It’s used in a demeaning way to insult dragons who have a lot of visible scales.” He took a deep breath, his heart aching in his chest.

“Changbin has a lot of scales,” Hyunjin said and Felix nodded. “So he… has he been called that before?”

“His whole life,” Felix said, rubbing his face. “It’s not my story to tell but I… He doesn’t like to talk about his scales.”

“I think Jisung is the only one who can talk about it somewhat freely,” Jeongin said and Felix hummed.

“The other two have bad experiences with presenting too much like dragons and not enough like humans,” Felix said.

There was a pause as both Minho and Hyunjin seemed to take in what had just been said. Minho mumbled a quiet ‘I don’t understand society’ under his breath but before anyone could reply to him, Hyunjin spoke.

“I like Changbin’s scales,” he said.

Felix couldn’t help but smile and Jeongin giggled beside him. “I like them too,” he said, earning a hum of agreement from Jeongin. “But maybe…” He trailed off, the smile washing off his face. “Maybe let Changbin calm down before telling him that. He may need some time to calm down.”

“I understand,” Hyunjin said. He took a deep breath, straightening his back a bit before looking towards the village. “I’ve never been here,” he said, tilting his head a bit. “I’ve only been to human villages a few times. They’re odd.” He scrunched his nose.

“Depends on where you go, but they can definitely be odd sometimes,” Jeongin said in agreement.

“I’ve never left the capital city,” Felix said, pouting. “Have you ever been to Mondum before, Jeongin?” he asked, eyes glancing over the pink and orange sky as the sun began to set.

“I have,” Jeongin replied, a smile tugging on his lips. “I’m from another village close to here.”

“Close from here?” Felix asked, pursing his lips and furrowing his brows. 

“You’re from around here?” Hyunjin asked, joining the conversation. “I thought you were from the castle.”

“No,” Jeongin said, shaking his head and his curls fell into his eyes. He brushed them to the side and pointed to their right, to the south. “My family live on a farm just outside a village in that direction.”

“Oh,” Hyunjin said softly.

“Why did you move to the castle then?” Minho asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Why did you leave your family? Did you have to leave? Is your family dead?” Hyunjin asked, opening his mouth to ask another question but Minho raised his hand. Hyunjin promptly closed his mouth and offered Jeongin a sheepish smile. “Sorry.”

“No, it’s okay,” Jeongin said, a look of adoration in his eyes. “My family is very much alive. My parents and my siblings are all well, at least they were when I last heard from them. I’m the youngest of five and…” He trailed off, brows furrowing. “I guess I wanted to try something else. I was offered the job as a servant in the castle when I was fifteen and I decided to take it.”

“That’s young,” Hyunjin noted, tilting his head. “A young age to leave your family behind.”

“I guess, but I… I don’t regret it,” Jeongin said, glancing to Felix. “I enjoy working at the castle a lot.”

“That’s nice,” Hyunjin said. “What do you do at the castle?”

“I cook!” Jeongin replied enthusiastically. “Mostly. Sometimes I do other things, but I was being trained by the chef in the kitchen.”

“Oh,” Hyunjin said softly. “So that’s why you’re so good at cooking.”

Jeongin’s cheeks immediately turned pick and Felix bit his lip to not make a comment about it. He stuttered something about not being that good at cooking.

Felix began to fade out the conversation as he turned to look towards Mondum, chewing on his lip. He couldn’t help but wish that he had been the one to go with Chan into the village.

  
  
  


Seungmin and Chan had managed to get a storage house for the night. How much it had cost, they didn’t say. It wasn’t ideal, with a lack of beds, but Felix understood why. The storage house was dark and dusty, only being illuminated by a few, flickering lanterns inside, but it was better than nothing. It was located three blocks into the town, which was not the ideal location of it, but it had to do for now. They would have roof above their heads for one night.

Felix and Changbin were the only ones left in the storage house as the others had gone to gather some more supplies. Changbin had stated right away that he would remain behind with Felix.

“I wanted to go with them,” Felix sulked, peering out the dusty window of the storage house. The sky was dark as the last bits of the sun was just barely peeking up over the horizon. The village outside seemed to be slowing down as the night approached. “I’ve never been to Mondum before. I wanted to see what it looks like.”

“I understand that, but you’re the prince of the kingdom,” Changbin pointed out, crossing his arms across his chest as he leaned back. He was sitting on top of some old boxes, just watching Felix with a blank expression. “You can’t exactly just walk the streets as if nothing has happened.” He glanced towards the window. “People would ask questions and I don’t doubt the news of the attack on the castle has reached the town.”

“You’re right,” Felix said with a sigh, sitting down on the box beside Changbin. His shoulder slumped and he stared through the dusty window for a moment before turning to Changbin. “Can we come back here later? When it’s all over?”

Changbin chuckled, a fond smile stretching on his lips.

“I’m sure we can arrange that, Your Highness,” he said, earning a playful shove from Felix.

“No titles,” he said and Changbin just hummed. “I’m serious.” He pouted. “No titles.”

“No titles,” Changbin parroted, a smile playing on his face.

“How are you feeling?” Felix asked, turning to Changbin. “Jisung went to check on you and I just… I didn’t want to intrude.”

“You wouldn’t have been intruding,” Changbin said, shoulders slumping as he looked down at his hands. “I’m doing okay. Seungmin just has an ability to really get under your skin.”

“Yeah… he doesn’t try very hard to keep his remarks to himself,” Felix said and Changbin hummed. He studied Changbin’s face. “I know it’s hard, but,” he placed his hand on Changbin’s, the white scales soft and warm under his touch, “try to not think too much about it.”

“I’ll try to,” Changbin said, moving his hand a bit to take Felix’s. His grasp was gentle and he held onto Felix’s hand as if it was made of glass. “It just… made me think back and I got angry.” He let out a heavy sigh. “The scales are a bit too much, aren’t they? Should I cover them up? I can do that when we come back to the castle.”

“No,” Felix said, brows furrowed and jaw clenched. “Haven’t we talked about this before? You only have to cover your arm if you want to. If you want to keep it open like this, it’s alright.” He tightened his grip of Changbin’s hand. “I won’t let you cover it up because some people tells you it’s too much.” He brushed down Changbin’s forearm with his free hand before letting go. “You should be proud of your scales.”

Changbin inhaled sharply. “I should,” he mumbled to himself, a small smile tugging on his lips. “Jisung told me to be proud of them as well.”

“And you should,” Felix said with a firm nod. Changbin only chuckled and Felix’s smile stretched wide on his face.

As silence fell between them, Felix began to study Changbin’s face. The smile still remained in the corners of his lips and there was a glimmer of something in his eyes.

Changbin frowned as he caught Felix staring at him. “What?”

“Did you and Jisung… resolve things?”

Even in the dim light of the lanterns, Felix could see Changbin’s ears heat up and the dragonguard averted his eyes.

“I… yes, I think we did resolve some things,” Changbin finally said, an amused chuckle leaving his lips. “He’s bold, isn’t he?”

“He sure is,” Felix said, leaning back a bit as he observed the fond expression on Changbin’s face. His gaze was distant, not focusing on Felix at all and a small smile tugged on his lips. “But that’s part of his charm.”

“Definitely.”

“So you’re… a couple now?” Felix asked, causing Changbin to clear his throat loudly in embarrassment.

“I-I guess we are,” he said, taking a deep breath. “I don’t know what I’d do without him.” There was a pause as he averted his eyes, avoiding Felix’s gaze. “I did actually hate him at one point.”

“I don’t doubt that,” Felix said, amused by Changbin’s attempt to change the subject. “He was very rude to you for a while there,” he mused and Changbin hummed in agreement. “Though you deserved that dropkick.”

“I had spent about five hours in the same division as him!” Changbin protested.

“You did insult him.”

“He started it.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“He did!” Changbin pouted, crossing his arms across his chest. “I just called him scaly feet.”

“Real mature there,” Felix said, earning a bump of the shoulder from Changbin.

“We were teenagers, I don’t think you could have expected maturity from us.”

“True,” Felix hummed, a wide smile stretching on his lips. It felt nice, to be able to joke around and forget about the seriousness of the current situation. He let out a short, but somewhat content, sigh as he leaned his head on Changbin’s shoulder.

“How are you feeling?” Changbin asked after a brief moment of comfortable silence.

“I’m…” Felix trailed off, licking his dry lips. “I don’t know… I think I’m okay? All things considered but,” he sighed, “it’s a lot.”

“That’s the least you can say,” Changbin muttered, causing Felix to grin. “There’s a lot going on and I worry for you.”

“For me?”

“Yeah,” Changbin said, placing his hand on Felix’s leg. The pearly white scales appeared iridescent in the silver light coming from Felix. “As you said, this is a lot and I just don’t want you, or anyone else, to get hurt. But right now, you’re in the most danger. I can’t help but worry.”

“You’re too nice,” Felix murmured.

“I just protect my friends,” Changbin replied.

“Thank you,” Felix whispered, taking a deep breath as he leaned heavier onto Changbin. “Can we stay like this for a while?”

“Of course we can.”

  
  
  
  


“We should have stayed here,” Hyunjin declared with a frown as he and Minho sat down beside Felix. “What are you reading?” he asked, blinking as he spotted the book in Felix’s hand.

“Some old log book,” Felix said with a scrunch of his nose, placing the book to the side. “Found it laying around, it’s boring and just talks about the wares here. The dates are very old though, I think someone just dropped it and forgot about it.” He turned to Hyunjin and Minho. “You didn’t like Mondum?”

“I don’t like villages,” Minho said, frown deepening as he crossed his arms across his chest. “Too many people in one place.”

“And they always stare at us weirdly,” Hyunjin added, a pout on his lip as he too crossed his arms. “I don’t like that.”

“Maybe they just haven’t seen forest spirits around much?” Felix said and both spirits hummed.

“I still didn’t like it,” Hyunjin sulked. “They should mind their own business.”

“They really should,” Felix said in agreement, even if it was mostly to appease Hyunjin. “But… other than that? How was the town?”

Minho shrugged. “It was a town. Lots of humans around.”

“It seemed like they had some kind of market in the town square,” Hyunjin added and Felix nodded eagerly. “I think it would have been nice if there were less people there. It was… a bit too crowded for my liking,” he said, twisting a bit where he sat. “I didn’t like it but that’s… I guess I see the charm of it.” He looked Felix up and down. “I think you’d like it.”

“I really wanted to go,” Felix huffed.

“Why didn’t you?” Hyunjin asked, tilting his head. His pink hair fell in his eyes and he immediately pushed it away. “Is it because you’re a prince?”

“Yes,” Felix mumbled, looking down at his hands. “I don’t… I’ve never really left the castle but I think… maybe I’m a bit too eye catching to be wandering around a village in the middle of nowhere.” He paused. “Especially after the attack on the castle.”

“Oh,” Hyunjin said softly. He thought for a moment, brows pulled together in a deep frown. “I don’t get it.”

“It’s okay,” Felix said, smile stretching on his lips. “I think that maybe people here would be a bit suspicious if a half-celestial just happened to walk among them. That’s enough to spark the talk around town and since my ex-fiancé wants me dead… keeping a low profile is the best thing we can do.”

“I see,” Hyunjin whispered. “I’m sorry, Felix.”

“For what?” Felix frowned. “What do you have to be sorry about, Hyunjin?”

“Not me personally but…” Hyunjin trailed off, licking his lips. “I’m sorry that you’re in this situation. I can’t imagine how it must feel for you but… my heart hurts for you.”

Felix’s chest felt warm. “Hyunjin,” he began, reaching out to take Hyunjin’s hand. He didn’t miss the way Minho tensed up at the action, eyes flickering between Hyunjin and Felix. “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me,” Hyunjin said, giving Felix’s hand a little squeeze. He tilted his head a little, seeming to be studying Felix’s face closely.

“Do I have something on my face?” Felix asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No,” Hyunjin said absentmindedly, shaking his head a bit before he turned to look at Minho. “I just… your freckles are glowing.”

“Ah,” Felix said, averting his eyes. “They do that sometimes.”

“Oh,” Hyunjin said, brows still furrowed as he nodded. “I see…” He smiled. “That’s really pretty.”

“Thank you,” Felix said, feeling his face heat up and he pulled his hand away from Hyunjin’s to press the back of his fingers against his cheeks.

They sat there in silence for a moment, and Felix’s gaze wandered over to the others. Chan was in the middle of discussing something with Jisung while Changbin was the one who seemed to be in charge of dinner for the night. Upon return, Chan had mentioned something about Jeongin and how he didn’t need to cook for them tonight. Felix hadn’t listened too much at that time, too curious to see what they had brought back from their short trip.

Soft footsteps sounded and Felix looked up to see Jeongin. Jeongin was smiling widely but then he paused for a moment. He looked Felix up and down, his brows pulling together in a frown.

“What?” Felix asked when he sat down beside him, on the opposite side of Hyunjin.

“You’re… you’re brighter than before,” Jeongin finally said.

“What? What are you talking about?”

“You’ve always given off a soft silver light,” Jeongin explained and Felix hummed. “Very faint, just barely visible.”

Yes, he knew that. “What… what about it?” he asked, looking down at himself.

“The light is brighter,” Jeongin said.

“I… I didn’t notice,” Felix breathed as he turned to his hands. He looked at the back of them, then back at his palms. He didn’t notice any difference. “Am I glowing brighter?” he asked, turning to Hyunjin and Minho.

The two forest spirits observed him for a moment, then they shared a look.

“Maybe?” Hyunjin said as he turned back to Felix. “I don’t know? I haven’t thought about it. I haven’t known you for so long I just… I just assumed you gave off this light naturally.”

“It’s gotten a bit stronger,” Jeongin said and Felix hummed. “It looks pretty though.”

“Very pretty,” Hyunjin added, earning a hum of agreement from Minho.

As Hyunjin and Jeongin went onto talking about something else, Felix’s mind drifted away and he turned his attention to the dark wall beside them, watching the soft silver light that illuminated it. Maybe Jeongin was right. Maybe he was giving off a bit more light than before.

But what did that mean?

  
  
  


The storage house was quiet and dark, illuminated only by a hooded lantern and the only one supposed to be awake currently was Chan. But Felix laid there, wide awake and unable to close his eyes. He couldn’t stop thinking about what Jeongin had said. About his light.

“Chan,” Felix whispered, sitting up.

“Felix?” Chan asked as Felix quietly moved over so sit down beside him. “What are you doing? You should try and get some sleep.”

“I know, I know,” Felix mumbled, staring at his hands. “I just- I can’t sleep.”

“Why? What’s the matter?”

“Jeongin pointed something out and I…”

“And you?”

Felix took a deep breath. “Has my light gotten brighter?” he asked, lifting his head to meet Chan’s gaze.

“What?”

“My light,” Felix said. “Has it gotten brighter? I don’t know if it has. I tried to figure it out myself but I don’t know and now I can’t stop thinking about it. I just-”

“Hey,” Chan said, taking Felix’s hand. He was still wearing his gloves and Felix’s heart fell in disappointment. He stared at Chan’s face but his hand was absentmindedly tugging at Chan’s glove. “Your mind is really busy tonight, huh?”

Felix nodded wordlessly, licking his lips as he held onto Chan’s hand.

Chan studied Felix’s face for a moment, looking at him from every angle before he spoke. “Maybe it got a bit brighter,” he said and Felix’s heart stuttered in his chest.

“Do you- Is that a bad thing?” he asked, his voice just a whisper. “What does this mean?”

“I don’t know, Felix,” Chan whispered, pulling his hand back from Felix. “But… Your mother gave off her own light, correct?” he asked as he began to remove his gloves.

“Yes,” Felix said, warmth blooming in his chest as Chan held out his hand to him again, this time without the glove. His skin was warm, a bit sweaty after being inside a glove for a long time but Felix didn’t mind. He brushed his fingers absentmindedly over the scales that covered the back of Chan’s hand. “Am I becoming more like her?” He paused, brows furrowing. “A full star?”

“Maybe you are,” Chan said, wrapping his fingers around Felix’s and it caused Felix’s heart to stutter. With his free hand, Chan reached out to brush his fingers across Felix’s cheeks. “You have a bit more stardust,” he whispered, pulling his hand back to show Felix the dusting of silver.

“Oh.”

“It looks pretty,” Chan said. “You’re pretty.”

Felix’s heart fluttered in his chest.

They both sat there in silence, just looking at each other. Felix’s heart was racing in his chest and his thoughts were all over the place. Yet he didn’t miss the way Chan’s gaze flickered down to his lips.

“Hey, Felix,” Seungmin said, causing both Felix and Chan to startle in surprise. They pulled away from each other and looked at Seungmin. He was peeking up from his bedroll, his pale blue hair messy, voice raspy and eyes bleary. “Shouldn’t you be asleep?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” Felix mumbled, averting his gaze as his cheeks heated up. What had he been about to do? Kiss Chan?

“Oh, okay,” Seungmin replied, laying down again. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Seungmin,” Felix said quietly.

“Goodnight,” Chan grumbled.

There was a pause as they waited for Seungmin to fall back asleep. Felix took a deep breath, braving himself before looking up.

“I should sleep,” he said, licking his lips. “But… Can I move my bedroll here?” he asked, gesturing to where he sat. “I… I feel safer,” he mumbled, cheeks heating up even more. In moments like these he wished he didn’t give off any light at all. He was pretty sure that Chan could see his red cheeks right now.

“Of course,” Chan said, a gentle smile stretching on his lips and Felix’s heart did that stupid stutter again. He needed to figure out how to get it to stop. This was becoming too much.

Chan helped him move his bedroll quietly and as soon as they had finished, Felix settled down beside Chan.

“This… this feels familiar,” Felix mused as he laid down. It didn’t take long until Chan’s fingers were tangled in his hair, gently scraping against his scalp. He closed his eyes. “Do you remember the night of my engagement announcement.”

“I do,” Chan said, his voice a bit strained. “I promised I would remain beside you, every step on the way.”

“And you stayed true to that promise,” Felix said, already feeling himself slipping into dreamland. His eyelids were too heavy and Chan was just such a comforting presence beside him. He felt safe enough to fall asleep. “Thank you, Chan.” He paused for a moment. “I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

“I promised. And I don’t break my promises,” Chan said. “Especially not my promises to you.” There was a pause and Felix was sure he had fallen asleep, but then Chan spoke again. “You’re the most important person in my life.”

That caused Felix’s heart to stutter in his chest. He wanted to reply, but he couldn’t.

“Go to sleep, little star,” Chan whispered, his words just for Felix to hear. “We have yet another day ahead of us tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've stopped writing chronologically and i'm just all over my wip rn. that's why it's taking so long dhhdjf i've been working on the end... which is... 5 chapters away or smth
> 
> Thank you so much for reading this <3 if you have any questions or just wanna talk, u can find me @pinkpunchmango on twt


	10. Whispers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Roaring fire followed by the softest of whispers._

Felix woke up by a commotion outside the storage house. He sat up with a start, his brain not quite awake yet and he looked around. The inside of the storage was still dark, save for the faint bit of light that he emitted and he could see Seungmin walking around, waking the others up.

“Wake Chan,” Seungmin said as soon as he got eye contact with Felix. “Dongyul’s soldiers have caught up with us.”

That kicked Felix into action. He sat up, immediately turning to Chan who was asleep beside him.

“Chan,” he said, trying to keep his voice low as he shook Chan awake. “You need to wake up.” He looked around. “We need to leave. They’re here.” His heart was in his throat. “Chan. They’re here.”

Chan blinked a couple of times, his eyes sleepy and hooded until he seemed to realize what was going on. He sat up, scanning the room before getting up.

“Let’s get our things,” he said and Felix nodded.

With shaky hands, Felix began to gather his things as fast as he could. The commotion outside the barn continued and every now and then he could see flashes of orange from outside. It made his heart beat even faster and he found it difficult to try and pack as his hands trembled. He didn’t know what time it was, but it was still dark outside.

“What is happening?” Hyunjin asked, fear so clear in his voice and beside him, Minho stood frozen, staring at the glowing orange outside the window. “Is… is that fire?”

“I think it is,” Jeongin said, handing Hyunjin his bag.

Hyunjin inhaled sharply, taking his bag from Jeongin before grabbing Minho’s hand. The two forest spirits looked at each other for a long while, seeming to communicate silently. Minho tightened the grip of his small pouch.

“Come on!” Chan said, helping Felix get his bag onto his back before pulling him out of the storage house.

When they got out on the street, it seemed like the chaos had fully enveloped the village and it was a terrifying sight.

“We need to leave,” Seungmin said, looking over their group. “We all need to get out and meet up in Sysiweald.”

The group began to head down the road, but they were quickly getting separated in the chaos. Hyunjin and Minho’s distress was clear and Jeongin seemed to put his focus into getting the forest spirits out of the utter chaos around them.

People were screaming and running for their lives. Some buildings were on fire and Felix’s heart felt like it was breaking in half. Children cried for their families as they got lost in the commotion. Above them, the heavy flapping of wings were heard and Felix looked up to see an unfamiliar, green dragon.

They ran through the streets, occasionally bumping into another panicked citizen of Mondum and Felix felt like crying. This destruction was completely unnecessary. These people had done nothing wrong. This was all happening because of him.

“We need to help them!” Felix screamed, pulling at Chan’s arm to get him to pause.

“We can’t, Felix!” Seungmin protested, looking to Chan for help.

“We need to get you out of here,” Chan said, looking between Felix and Seungmin. “We can’t stop to help people.”

“But they- They’re getting hurt because of me!”

“They’re getting hurt because the soldiers are looking for you,” Seungmin said, pulling at Felix’s arm but Felix tried to resist. “The quicker we get you out of here, the quicker they’ll leave the village alone. If they see you leave, there is no reason for them to continue to burn the village.”

Felix took a deep breath, pressing his lips together and he nodded.

“But can… can you help them in any way?” he asked, turning to Chan. “Can’t you grab the soldiers’ attention or something?”

Chan glanced between Felix and Seungmin again. “I can… do something like that,” he said, giving Seungmin a nod. Seungmin was about to pull Felix with him when Chan grabbed Seungmin’s arm. “I need you to protect him for me,” he said, eyes locked with Seungmin’s.

“I can do that,” Seungmin said, his voice coming out unexpectedly soft. “Go. I’ll promise I will protect him with my life. Meet us in Sysiweald.”

Chan gave Seungmin a short nod, turning to Felix. For a moment, he was just silent. “Be safe,” he whispered, reaching out to brush Felix’s hair away from his forehead.

Before Felix could say anything, Chan turned around and began to run towards the burning buildings in the middle of the village. He screamed for Jisung and Changbin.

And then the dark gray dragon took off into the sky.

“Let’s go!” Seungmin yelled, yanking at Felix’s arm and snapping Felix’s attention back to the task at hand. “We need to go to the forest!”

Felix nodded, following Seungmin willingly. Before he turned his gaze away from the sky, two more dragons appeared. A pearly white one and a bright red one. They let out roars in unison before the white one tackled the green one, wrapping its body around the green one and bringing it down to the ground.

The two dragons struggled a bit in the air before they crash landed on the field outside the town, and at the impact the ground shook. Felix stumbled in the violent tremors. 

“Come on!” Seungmin yelled, his grip of Felix’s wrist loosening. He paused momentarily to look back and Felix did too.

Another unfamiliar dragon appeared in the sky, its white scales reflecting the orange of the fire as it began to circle. It was leaner than Changbin, its neck slimmer and tail longer. It was also larger than Felix’s dragonguards.

It let out a piercing shriek before twisting around in the air, diving towards Jisung and Chan.

“That’s a good distraction,” Seungmin said, tugging at Felix’s sleeve. “Let’s hurry.”

They ran across the field. The golden crops were crushed under their feet as they ran. The field was colored a mix of orange and silver. Silver from the soft moonlight above and orange from the fire that tore through the village like a hungry predator.

Felix’s heart was hammering in his chest and his thoughts were racing.

He could only hope that the soldiers would leave the city alone when they realized that he wasn’t there.

As they ran, he could hear the roars of the dragons. He knew he should keep up with Seungmin, but he had to slow down. He needed to know. He turned around to look at the commotion. His eyes immediately found Chan in the sky, his large form twisting and turning in the air as he tried to chase the white dragon away from the village.

A shrill sound echoed across the field as the green dragon clamped its jaws down around Changbin’s neck. Felix felt his blood run cold and he felt so hopelessly useless in this very moment.

“Felix!” Seungmin yelled, bringing Felix back to the present. “We need to run and we need to run now!”

Just as he nodded, Jisung seemed to have realized Changbin’s situation as he left Chan’s side to make a dive towards the green dragon. Surprised by the impact, the green dragon let out a yelp and let go of Changbin’s throat. The green and the red dragon tumbled on the field, bringing down one of the barns in the process.

Felix turned around and bolted, following Seungmin into the forest.

  
  


The sounds from the village could still be heard when they stopped in the thick forest. Felix’s breathing was harsh and his heart was in his throat. He could almost taste blood in his mouth. Maybe he had bit his tongue as they ran. He wasn’t sure.

They were alone in the dark forest, without much light save for Felix himself. Seungmin looked him up and down once and cursed.

“We’re going to have a problem sneaking around,” he said, running a hand through his hair. He took a deep breath before falling silent, listening carefully around the forest.

He held his breath and it was as if the forest was too. He couldn’t hear any animals walking around, no rustling of leaves or bushes, and no fluttering of birds. Nothing. Just the sound of fighting in the distance.

“Take this,” Seungmin mumbled and the blue light Felix had seen before flared for a moment before Seungmin held out a short sword to him. “I think you may need it.”

“For what?”

Just as he had asked the question, the sound of footsteps echoed through the forest.

“For that,” Seungmin said as he turned around, facing the sound. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Guess there’s no way of avoiding them,” he mumbled, mostly to himself. “Show yourself!” he called out, his voice loud and clear.

“Surrender!” a soldier demanded as he and another one stepped out of the darkness and into the light from Felix. “If you follow us, no one’s going to get hurt.”

Seungmin snorted, summoning yet another blade. “I don’t know about you, but I believe it’s pretty clear what Dongyul is planning to do with Felix here,” he said, raising the dagger towards the two soldiers. “I’m not letting you take him with you.”

“We do not want to hurt you,” the other soldier, a woman, spoke and Seungmin snorted.

“I for one can’t wait to see you hurt,” he mumbled to himself. He shook his head and glanced towards Felix, taking a deep breath. “Too bad you two have to go,” he continued and before Felix could say anything, Seungmin lunged at the two soldiers.

The blue light flashed and Seungmin swung the hatchet in his hand towards one of the soldiers. They both backed away, one of them just narrowly avoiding Seungmin’s blade and they pulled out their swords.

“You better back off,” Seungmin snapped, raising the hatchet to point at the two soldiers. “I’m being fair and giving you a warning right now.” The two soldiers seemed to consider what to do next, eyes flickering between Seungmin and their partner. “Run back to your little prince and tell him that he can rot in hell.”

“Step away, blade mage,” the woman warned, narrowing her eyes as she gripped her sword tighter. “This is not your fight.”

“Oh, it is my fight now.”

Felix took a step back, holding onto the sword as if his life depended on it. Oh how he prayed he would not have to use it.

“Very well,” the man sighed. He took a deep breath before throwing himself at Seungmin, sword raised.

The swing of the sword was wide and Seungmin raised his hatchet to parry. The clank of metal against metal echoed through the forest. The woman lunged at him as well and in a flash of blue, Seungmin had summoned a sword to catch hers.

There was a moment as all three of them just held still, waiting for someone to make the next move.

They didn’t seem too bothered by Felix.

Seungmin let go of both weapons and used the short moment of surprise to duck in between the two soldiers. In another flash of blue, he summoned yet another blade and dragged it across the woman’s back.

Red dripped onto the dark ground.

The woman screamed, spitting out something that sounded like a curse. She staggered for a bit but turned towards Seungmin.

Felix took a step back, his movement seeming to alert the man who turned to him. Felix managed to bring up his own sword just in time to parry the blow.

“We’re ordered to bring you back,” the man hissed, pulling his sword back and he attempted to strike Felix again. “We cannot return without you.”

“But- You-” Felix attempted to speak but every time he lost his focus for just a split second. He barely managed to dodge the soldier’s blade. A heavy feeling settled in his gut as he realized that he couldn’t talk his way out of this. He needed to use the blade he had been given.

Despite being, according to Seungmin, a fast learner, the man he was facing obviously had way more experience than Felix did with a sword. Felix couldn’t do much more than dodge attack after attack. He kept backing away and dodging the sharp blade.

The ground under his feet was uneven and he prayed to the gods in the high heavens that he wouldn’t trip and fall.

He didn’t fall. But soon enough he found himself backed into a corner, his back against a large rock.

“Please don’t do this!” he pleaded, attempting to get the man to stop. His heart was hammering in his chest, echoing in his ears. “Please.”

“I’m sorry, Prince Felix,” the man sighed, shaking his head. “But don’t worry, I won’t be the one to kill you.”

That made everything way worse. His stomach twisted in fear.

“Please don’t hurt me, please leave me alone, please-”

“Just come with us and we won’t hurt your fr-”

The man didn’t get to finish his sentence before he was yanked back by Seungmin. In a swift motion, Seungmin managed to press a dagger to his throat.

“You’re not going anywhere with him,” he snarled in the man’s ear. “I’d send you back to your prince like the pathetic dog you are, but I think you’ll get more mercy from me than him.”

Before the man could speak, Seungmin slit his throat. Felix’s stomach churned as the blood hit his face. He was going to throw up. He exhaled as the body crumpled to the ground with a thud.

Seungmin stood over the body, watching it for a moment before he sighed. The dagger in his hand became a sword.

Felix looked away but he could still hear the sound as Seungmin drove the sword through the man’s chest, making sure he was dead.

The short sword in Felix’s hand dissolved into nothing and he exhaled, his breath shaky. He turned back to look at Seungmin.

Behind Seungmin laid the corpse of the woman. Blood was soaking the dark green moss around the two bodies. In the light that came from him, Felix could see the red sinking into the earth. A wave of nausea washed over him and he heaved, but managed to stop himself last second. He exhaled loudly, trying to calm himself.

“Felix, I need you to focus,” Seungmin snapped at Felix, successfully tearing him out of his own thoughts. “We need to go,” he said, blank expression on his face.

“But…” Felix looked down at the two bodies on the ground.

“No,” Seungmin said, grabbing Felix’s arm to pull him away from them. They began to head further into the Sysiweald Forest. “They’re dead, Felix, and there’s nothing you can do now to save them.”

“But… You killed them!” Felix said, pulling his arm away from Seungmin’s grasp. Seungmin glanced over his shoulder to the bodies and then he shrugged. “Why are you so nonchalant about this?!” he hissed, still following Seungmin through the forest. “They only followed orders! They are innocent in this! Dongyul and Eunkyung are the ones responsible.”

“Felix,” Seungmin said, halting and turning around to face him. Felix took a step back, suddenly regretting speaking up. Seungmin’s eyes were dark and Felix could have sworn he saw the marks on his face pulse with the faintest bit of light. “No one is innocent in this damned world, little prince,” Seungmin hissed, taking a step closer to Felix.

Fear rose within Felix but he remained still. He wasn’t going to back down.

Seungmin grabbed his collar and pulled him closer.

“Everyone’s guilty of something,” he whispered, teeth gritted. “You need to see the world for what it is. It’s dark and cruel. People die, no matter what and you just have to accept that. I understand that you lived a sheltered life but that life is over now. You need to learn about the world you live in. You need to understand it if you’re ever going to rule a kingdom. Sometimes, people have to die.”

He let go of Felix’s collar.

“I don’t like to kill people, if that’s what you’re thinking,” he continued, running a hand through his hair before pulling his mask up to cover the scar on his lower face. “But if someone under my care is threatened, I won’t hesitate to do so. I promised Chan that I would protect you. And I’ll protect you, with my life.”

“You- I-”

“Felix,” Seungmin said, his dark eyes staring right into Felix’s soul. “We need to leave and we need to leave now. Or else they will catch up to us.”

He grabbed Felix’s hand and pulled him along. This time Felix didn’t try to protest. He simply followed Seungmin through the dark forest, although it didn’t seem like it was that dark anymore.

A soft silver light helped them to see the path ahead and Felix looked up to the sky.

The stars were out, but it wouldn’t be enough to provide them light. He frowned, confused.

“How are we going to find the others?” he asked after they had walked for a long while in silence. “It’s a big forest. How are they going to find us?”

“I tracked you in Avaweald,” Seungmin said, not bothering to look back at Felix. His voice was a bit muffled by the mask. “I can find the others here.”

Felix didn’t ask how. He didn’t want to know.

They stopped for a short moment and Seungmin pulled something out of his bag. It looked like a vial with something inside. A dark liquid.

“What’s that?” Felix asked, taking a step closer.

“Blood,” Seungmin replied, as if it was something normal. He glanced at Felix, rolling his eyes. “Don’t worry, it’s not your friends’ blood,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s… Well, you don’t want to know where it’s from but it lets me track people I need to find.”

“Okay,” Felix whispered, his mouth dry and his stomach churning.

“Don’t think too much about it,” Seungmin mumbled, placing it back into his pocket.

“How am I supposed to not think about that?” Felix grumbled, following Seungmin as he zigzagged through the woods. This forest was already denser than Avaweald had been.. “It’s blood for heaven’s sake.”

“Not human blood,” Seungmin clarified, glancing over his shoulder. “My…” He trailed off and took a deep breath. “My maker made it for me,” he finally said, stopping in his tracks and he turned to face Felix. “I know you don’t like me, and I know none of the others like me. I’ll take my leave as soon as I can. But I want you to know that this is what I was created to do.”

Felix took a deep breath. “Who is your maker?”

“I cannot tell you that,” Seungmin said, lips pressed together. “But if I had the chance… I’d kill them.”

“…why?”

“Why?” Seungmin asked, word followed by a short laugh. “Why, you ask?” He thought for a moment. “I never asked to become this. They robbed me of a normal life and condemned me to this existence.”

“I’m sorry,” Felix whispered after a moment.

“Don’t think about it,” Seungmin said, waving his hand dismissively before he turned around. “I’m over feeling sorry for myself. All I can do is look ahead.”

“Don’t you want to leave this life behind?” Felix asked, following Seungmin. The forest around them was beginning to thicken and he made sure to stick close to Seungmin. He shuddered, feeling the cold of the night starting to sink through his clothes. He wasn’t sure Seungmin was listening to him anymore, but he continued to talk. “Wouldn’t you like to settle down? Find someone and… I don’t know, maybe get a job that doesn’t include killing people?”

Seungmin was silent for a long time before he chuckled. He almost sounded sad. “Do you really think anyone would be interested in hiring a blade mage?” He glanced over his shoulder. “I understand that you wish to see the best in people, Prince Felix, but I’m a killer and people hate what I am.”

“B-but-”

“Don’t you think I’ve tried?” Seungmin asked, picking up the pace a bit and Felix had to walk faster to keep up as well. “It’s not like blade mages enjoy their existence, Felix. Most want to get out, but because people refuse to let us in, we choose the life forced upon us.”

“I’m sorry,” Felix whispered.

“You apologize way too much,” Seungmin noted. “You need to stop that. You can’t apologize for things you’re not responsible for.”

“I-”

“Don’t say it.”

Felix pressed his lips together, nodding. “No more unnecessary apologies.”

“That’s right,” Seungmin said, and Felix could almost hear the smile in his voice. Then he suddenly stopped and Felix almost walked right into his back.

“What?”

“We’re close to the others,” Seungmin said, grabbing Felix’s hand. “Come on.”

  
  
  
  


Relief washed over him and Felix felt like crying when he saw Chan in the warm light of the fire.

“Felix!” Jisung called out, bolting up on his feet and bounced towards Felix and Seungmin. “You’re okay!” he said, wrapping Felix into a hug.

“Are you alright?” Felix asked, his hands on Jisung’s shoulders as he looked Jisung over. Jisung looked normal, except for the bruise that was blooming on his cheek and his split lip.

“That’s up for debate, honestly, because I don’t think I’m emotionally alright,” Jisung said, glancing over his shoulder. “But I didn’t get any lasting injuries.”

The rest of the group was sitting around the fire. Chan was standing up, seeming to be in some kind of pain, while Changbin was being tended to by Jeongin. Hyunjin pulled out various herbs from his pouch, handing them to Jeongin as he covered the gash on Changbin’s neck and shoulder, on the scale-free side.

“What happened?” Felix asked, moving to stand beside Chan, his eyes flickering between Chan and Changbin. “Is he..?”

“He’ll be alright,” Chan said, taking Felix’s hand.

“He’ll be alright,” Jeongin repeated as if to reassure Felix and he carefully wrapped a bandage around Changbin’s neck.

“The green dragon got me,” Changbin grumbled, wincing in pain as Jeongin accidentally put a bit too much pressure on the wound. He looked up on Felix. “Don’t worry about me, though, I’ll heal up in a couple of days.”

“That’s if you get proper rest,” Jisung said, earning himself a glare from Changbin. He raised his hand, muttering a quiet ‘I’m just looking out for you’.

“I’ll be fine,” Changbin said, turning to Felix.

“How are you?” Chan said, grabbing a hold of Felix’s shoulders as he looked him over. His brows furrowed as he seemed to notice something on Felix’s jacket. “Is that blood?” he demanded, leaning closer to inspect the small patch of dried blood. “Are you hurt? Do you ne-”

“Chan, I’m fine,” Felix said, grabbing Chan’s wrists. “I’m not hurt. It’s…” He trailed off, licking his lips nervously as he glanced back towards Seungmin.

Chan followed his gaze.

“Two soldiers followed us into the forest,” Seungmin replied as he sat down by the fire, keeping some distance between him and the rest of the group. He pulled his mask down and shrugged. “They were about to kill Felix,” he said. “Didn’t have much of a choice really.”

Chan looked conflicted and in the end he didn’t say anything.

“It’s not my blood,” Felix whispered and Chan just nodded. “I’m…” He lowered his voice, only wanting Chan to hear him. “I didn’t want them to die. I didn’t want him to kill them.”

“I know you didn’t,” Chan said, taking Felix’s face in his hands. “I know you don’t wish harm on anyone.” He rested his forehead against Felix’s. “You’re not that kind of person.”

Felix’s gut twisted and he nodded, his lips pressed together.

“Would you like to help with the food?” Chan asked, pulling back from Felix. As he did, Felix caught a glimpse of the cut across Chan’s eyebrow. How hadn’t he seen it earlier?

“Are you… Are you hurt?” he asked, taking Chan’s face in his hands to look closer at the cut.

“Nothing big,” Chan said, offering Felix a smile. It looked pained and stiff.

“Are you certain?” Felix asked, trying again. He tilted his head and prayed to the gods Chan would be honest with me. There was something on Chan’s mind.

“I am,” Chan finally replied and Felix sighed.

“Okay…” He trailed off, letting go of Chan. There was something gnawing in his chest as he watched Chan walk over to the campfire, beginning to pull out the various food items they had bought in Mondum. But this feeling… Felix wasn’t quite sure exactly what it was.

  
  
  


Low whispers slowly made it to Felix’s ear and he let out a low hum, turning on the hard ground. It was uncomfortable and it made him grumble a bit.

“Felix?” Chan asked.

Felix didn’t bother to answer. Sleep was settled too deep in his bones. He wanted to fall asleep again.

But why was Chan awake? He should be sleeping too.

Just as Felix was about to lift his head, Chan’s fingers brushed over his hair. Careful fingers threaded through his hair and lulled Felix into a sleepier state. This was comfortable. He could feel himself starting to drift off when Chan spoke.

“Maybe it’s for the best if you didn’t hear this,” he said, his voice soft and still running his fingers through Felix’s hair. Chan took a deep breath, his hand resting on top of Felix’s head. “You know… when we got separated. When Dongyul’s soldiers surprised us. I thought I would lose you.” He paused. “I don’t know what I would have done if that happened,” he spoke slowly, his voice becoming thicker. “I think I need to tell you this soon… I can’t bear this much longer.”

Felix’s heart was picking up pace in his chest. Was Chan..?

“I’m in love with you,” he whispered, fingers brushing over Felix’s forehead. “I know I shouldn’t be, but… I cannot help it.”

Felix wanted to reply. He wanted to tell Chan that he was in love with him. He wanted to assure him that there was nothing wrong in loving him. He was in love with Chan too! But Felix remained silent, pretending to be asleep.

Chan chuckled sadly to himself.

“Pathetic, isn’t it?”

_ No _ , Felix wanted to scream.

Chan took a deep breath before he continued. “It must have been amusing for the staff. To see a dragonguard long for the prince’s love. The captain told me to get over you, that I needed to take my job seriously and I couldn’t let my emotions guide my decisions. My job is to watch over you, and nothing can cloud my judgement. You were going to marry someone else.” He paused, pulling his hand away from Felix. The warmth from his fingers lingered on Felix’s skin. “I will never have a chance with you.”

After that, Chan didn’t say anything else and Felix was left alone, wide awake. He could hear shuffling of things as Chan moved over to his own bedroll. It was beside Felix, but there was a little distance between them.

Felix held his breath, eyes wide open and he listened as Chan’s breathing slowed down. He wasn’t sure how long he laid there, but at last he rolled over to carefully peer at Chan. Chan had fallen asleep, his face turned to Felix. He looked relaxed, but there was a slight tension in his eyebrows. His gray hair was falling in his face and Felix wanted nothing but to reach out and brush it away.

“I should have replied to you,” Felix whispered, his words just barely audible even to himself. “I’m in love with you and I want nothing but to be with you.” He swallowed hard, his chest feeling heavy and tight. “I should tell you that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanna start of with a big fkn thank yOU to Aja who saved my ass with the action scenes. If u don't know already, i hate action scenes with a passion....
> 
> seCOND. thank you all so so much for the love this story is receiving <3 thank you so much for reading <33
> 
> you can find me on twt @pinkpunchmango


	11. A soft silver light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The light is gentle, but cold. Then it flickers._

Felix was once again sent to the ground. He gasped as the air was knocked out of his lungs and he groaned, rolling over to stand up again.

“Focus, Felix!” Seungmin snapped, extending a hand to help Felix up. “You need to focus and be alert. At all times. Dongyul and his soldiers could be planning an ambush now for all that we know.”

“Can we take a break?” Felix asked, rubbing his face. “I need… I need a minute.”

Seungmin looked at Felix for a moment, studying his expression. Then he sighed, his shoulders slumping and he nodded.

“Very well, let’s take a short break,” he said, walking over to the fallen tree where they had left their things.

Felix sat down beside Seungmin on the tree log, wiping the sweat off his forehead and he scanned the camp. Jeongin and Hyunjin didn’t seem to mind Seungmin and Felix as the two of them were busy discussing something. The others had left for a while to gather some food to get their rations to last a bit longer. Changbin was sitting with his back against a tree, eyes fixed on Seungmin and Felix but he didn't make a move to join them as they settled down for a break.

“What’s on your mind?” Seungmin asked, his voice unexpectedly soft. Felix snapped his head around to look at him. It was the tone Seungmin had used back in the castle, before everything happened. “Do you want to talk about it?”

This was a side of the actual Seungmin that Felix hadn’t seen before. He furrowed his brows, studying Seungmin’s face closely as he looked for any signs that Seungmin was just feigning concern.

“Chan is in love with me,” Felix finally said.

“I know,” Seungmin replied.

“Oh.”

“It’s quite obvious,” Seungmin continued.

“I- Is it?” Felix stuttered, his heart leaping in his chest. “How..?”

“Everyone in the castle knew about it,” Seungmin said with a shrug. “The both of you keep looking at one another like you’re the only ones in the room. Chan looks at you like you hung the stars in the sky, and I’m afraid that you’re not much better. And the whole ‘I’d rather dance with you than my own fiancé’.” He chuckled. “Or Chan telling you to run away with him. Not the most subtle hints you were dropping there, My Prince”

“Oh.” Felix looked down at his hands, his face warming up. “I didn’t… Oh, that’s bad. That’s really bad.”

“I wouldn’t say it’s a bad thing,” Seungmin said, leaning back. There was a long pause and Felix turned to look at the blade mage. Seungmin was staring towards Hyunjin and Jeongin. “I don’t think emotions are bad.” He glanced at Felix. “You wear your heart on your sleeve and I…” He trailed off. “I admire that.”

Felix stared. Ever since Seungmin had returned, he had been stoic, avoiding to talk too much about emotions and had had focus on the task at hand. This was the most vulnerable Felix had seen him.

“Did Chan finally confess to you?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“I- Yes I guess he did.”

“You guess?”

“He thought I was asleep,” Felix mumbled, lowering his head again. “He was talking to me and he confessed and I… I pretended that I was asleep.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“Terribly sorry, My Prince. But you’re stupid.”

Felix wasn’t sure if he should take offence or not.

“But honestly, Chan might be even dumber than you are.” Seungmin sighed, rubbing his temples. “I’m not sure how much longer I can stand the two of you not talking about this.”

“I should talk to him, shouldn’t I?”

“You should,” Seungmin said. “Take the opportunity to tell him while you can.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re heading into the ruins of a place, chased by a mad witch and a small army.” Seungmin paused. “I’m sorry, but the odds are not really in your favor here.”

“You’re right,” Felix sighed, running a hand through his hair. He looked away from Seungmin, turning his attention to the bright sky and he just stared. “You’re right.”

  
  


Chan was avoiding him. Maybe. Or maybe Felix was avoiding Chan as he tried to think of a way to bring up the very touchy subject. Maybe he could walk up to Chan when Chan wasn’t talking to anyone and bring up the subject. But that would also mean that he risked that their whole group would see the discussion. Maybe he could bring Chan to the side when they stopped for a break. They had agreed on taking a few more breaks today, for Changbin’s sake.

Felix glanced back at the dragon as he walked at the back on the group. He didn’t seem to be in pain, but he was moving slower than usual. It seemed like his body was using up all the energy it had to heal, rather than reserving something for the trip.

“I don’t like this forest,” Minho said, breaking Felix’s daze, and he glanced around. “I don’t… I don’t like this. I can hear too much.”

At Minho’s words, Felix took a look around their surroundings as well. The Sysiweald Forest was different from Avaweald. It felt strange. Like the air was heavier and there was these invisible walls around them, slowly closing in around them.

“You can… you can hear things?”

“Dead things,” Minho said, his words causing a chill to run down Felix’s spine. “I can speak to specific trees if needed, you saw me do that before.”

Felix nodded.

“But I… I cannot hear nature like Hyunjin can. I can’t hear the birds chirping, the whispers of the trees as their leaves rustle, the singing of the flowers. Nothing like that.” He pressed his lips together, looking around the forest again. “I can only hear the moaning of the withered.”

That was enough to spark concern in Felix. “And you can hear that now?”

“A lot of it,” Minho confirmed. “There’s a lot of pain in this forest.”

“Do you know why?”

Minho listened for a moment, brows pulled together in a frown before he shook his head. “I don’t know. There’s just cries of pain and loss… Something happened and it has left deep marks in the forest.”

Felix nodded, licking his dry lips as he thought about what Minho had said. As he glanced around, Minho’s words suddenly made sense. There wasn’t less things growing in the Sysiweald Forest, but there was something off with their surroundings. Everything was muted, the colors less vibrant than they had been in Avaweald. It was as if a veil of dull gray had been pulled over everything.

“Can I ask you something?” Felix asked, breaking the silence and Minho simply hummed, his eyes fixed on Seungmin and Hyunjin ahead of them. “Are you scared of fire? In Mondum you… you froze up for a moment there.”

Minho snapped his head around, eyes narrowed and he seemed to look through Felix’s very soul. Felix bit his lip, fearing that he may have overstepped the boundaries but then Minho’s face softened.

“I’m terrified of it,” Minho finally said. “A fire tore through Avaweald when I was very young and… and it took my tree away from me.”

“It… Your tree?”

“Forest spirits… we are born from nature and to root us, we are tied to a tree,” Minho began, his gaze growing distant. “Not every tree has a spirit, but a spirit has always been linked to a tree.” He paused. “Mine was caught in a forest fire.”

“What happens when the tree disappears then? What happens to the forest spirits?” Felix asked carefully. “If you’re linked to a tree, what happens when it vanishes? Do you..?”

“We don’t pass away when the spirit core is lost or the tree is uprooted,” Minho said and Felix nodded. “But we…” He looked down, staring at his hands for a moment. “We wither.”

Suddenly the difference between Minho and Hyunjin was clear. Minho had nothing to grow from.

“I don’t know what Hyunjin has told you about me,” Minho began.

“Only that Eunkyung hurt you, Hyunjin, Hyunjung and Jiyeon,” Felix said and Minho hummed. “Is… She was the one behind the forest fire, wasn’t she?”

“She was,” Minho said, inhaling sharply. “I don’t know why she did it. But she killed multiple forest spirits and caused more to wither.” There was a short pause. “A lot of those who withered didn’t stay alive for long.”

“What do you mean?”

“When our tree is destroyed, or the spirit core of it is removed, we lose the close connection we have to nature and for many spirits… that’s too much to handle. It’s almost like the whole world is singing to you, everything around you is your friend, and then one day, you hear nothing but silence. That’s why I can’t hear nature. I don’t have a connection to nature anymore.” He swallowed hard. “I’m more dead than I am alive, thus I can hear the dead.” Minho looked towards Hyunjin. “Hyunjin found me. In the charred remains of my part of the forest. Jiyeon’s tree had been damaged too in the fire but it survived.”

“Oh…” Felix said softly. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Minho said, something hopeful gleaming in his eyes and he glanced to the pouch. “I… There’s still a chance for me to… maybe not return to normal, but return to somewhat normal.”

“What do you mean?”

“My tree was destroyed but… Hyunjin found a sprout of it.” He took a deep breath, chewing on his bottom lip as he clutched his pouch. “You cannot tell anyone about it. It’s supposed to remain a secret between us until…” He brushed his hand over the smooth leather of the pouch. “Until I can plant it.”

“What will happen when you plant it?” Felix asked, lowering his voice.

“I will, hopefully, return to normal. Hyunjung thought I would return to at least somewhat normal. Maybe I will still have a bit of bark like Jiyeon does but I won’t be looking like…” He gestured to himself. “…this.”

“Why can’t you just plant the sprout right away?” Felix asked before he could stop himself. He widened his eyes and lowered his head. “I’m sorry that was insensitive.”

“No I… I understand the curiosity,” Minho murmured. “I don’t blame you.” He took a deep breath. “I cannot plant it yet because it’s small and weak. If I plant it too early, it might not take root and instead whither and die. I can’t let the last piece of my tree die.”

“I’m-” Felix halted himself, remembering what he had promised Seungmin. He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry if I overstepped.”

“Don’t be,” Minho said, offering Felix a soft smile. “I wouldn’t have told you if I felt uncomfortable sharing this.” He paused and brushed his fingers over the bark on his cheek. “I don’t see the harm in sharing this with you.” He smiled. “You’re a good person, Felix, and none of you have shown any particular disgust towards me.”

“Why would we?”

“I’m half-dead,” Minho deadpanned. “Not even my own kin are very fond of the withered ones.”

“Well, I’m not a forest spirit and I don’t judge based on looks,” Felix said. “I judge based on actions.” He paused and offered Minho a wide smile. “And so far I think you’re quite pleasant to be around. A bit quiet at times but that’s alright.”

Minho laughed. An actual, genuine laugh and Felix blinked in surprise. Hyunjin also turned around to look at Minho for a moment. He appeared to be surprised as well before his face melted into a smile.

“Thank you, prince Felix.”

Felix winced at the use of his title. “No title, please.”

“No title,” Minho echoed. “I’ll remember that.”

They fell silent and Felix’s gaze drifted towards Chan at the front of the group. His stomach churned and he had to remind himself to breathe.

He couldn’t avoid this much longer. He had to speak to Chan.

  
  


Apparently, just speaking to Chan was too much to ask of the universe. During the day, he was always busy talking to someone and Felix never managed to get him alone. Nor did they stop for long enough to actually talk. The moment they had settled down for the night, he took off with Jisung to gather more firewood.

Felix had to sit down and wait.

They had settled in the thick underbrush, hidden from view but close to a small lake. The lake itself was in a large clearing and they had all agreed that maybe sleeping so out in the open wasn’t the best idea. They still needed to keep out of sight and now Dongyul had access to the air as well, with the recruitment of dragonguards.

There was a heavy feeling within the group. Hyunjin and Minho were both quiet, exchanging looks and they both kept glancing around the forest. Jeongin helped Changbin to get comfortable by the small fire they had set up. He carefully removed the bandage, checking the wound before putting the bandage back, mumbling something about changing it later. They kept their voices low, sending a look towards the forest spirits every now and then.

Seungmin walked around the place they had chosen as their camp site, his eyes sharp and expression blank.

Felix took a look around their camp as well and when he had placed his bag down on the ground, he joined Changbin by the campfire.

“Are we lost?” Seungmin wondered out-loud, his muffled voice breaking the silence as he spun around to look at Minho and Hyunjin. His gaze was sharp. Hyunjin cowered a bit, avoiding Seungmin’s glance while Minho took a step forward. Seungmin’s eyes crinkled up and as he pulled his mask down he revealed a grin. Felix’s stomach twisted. He didn’t like where this was going. “We’re lost, aren’t we?” he asked, taking a step closer to the spirits.

Minho and Hyunjin exchanged a look.

“We’re being led astray by something,” Minho replied.

“Are you sure about that?” Seungmin asked, raising an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

“I am certain,” Minho hissed between gritted teeth.

Felix looked between the forest spirit and the blade mage. The tension between the two was thick and unsettling. There was something in Seungmin’s eyes, a spark of something that Felix couldn’t make out.

“This forest is behaving oddly,” Minho continued, earning a hum of agreement from Hyunjin. “Something here is off. We’re not completely lost, just a bit off track.”

“I do not sense anything in the forest,” Seungmin sneered at Minho.

“Maybe that’s because nothing about you is natural,” Minho snapped. “You don’t belong here.”

“You’re not rooted in nature either, are you, forest spirit?” Seungmin retorted.

That caused Minho to move, faster than expected and he grabbed onto Seungmin’s collar. Seungmin seemed taken aback, but his expression quickly became blank as he stared at Minho. Minho eyed him for a long time, seemingly trying to look through his very soul.

“Your intentions are neither good or bad, blade mage,” he hissed quietly. “I will not let this group be led by you before your intentions clear up.”

“Hey…” Felix began, attempting to stand up but Changbin grabbed his arm, pulling him back to the ground. When he turned to him, Changbin only shook his head.

“I’m afraid there won’t be enough time for that,” Seungmin said with a sly grin, wrapping his hand around Minho’s wrist. “Right now, at this very moment, Eunkyung and Dongyul are both on the hunt for us. We need to reach the Gangjeon ruins before they do, because if they catch up to us, Felix is dead. You cannot start to imagine what Eunkyung is capable of.”

Minho tightened his grip of Seungmin’s collar, bringing him closer.

“Don’t speak to me like I do not know,” he hissed, anger sparking in his brown eye. “I know exactly what she’s capable off.”

Seungmin studied Minho’s face for a moment. “Do you want revenge?” he asked. “I can help you with-”

“I’m not interesting in petty, personal revenge,” Minho sneered, tightening his grasp of Seungmin’s collar.“I just wish for this to stop,” he continued, holding eye contact with Seungmin for a second before releasing him, shoving him backwards. He inhaled sharply and exhaled, his breath shuddering. “We’re not lost. We will get back on the right track tomorrow,” he said, more directed to Felix than Seungmin. He turned to Seungmin. “I’m not interesting in making deals with you, blade mage.”

Seungmin shrugged. “Suit yourself,” he said before turning around.

The whole camp was silent as Seungmin moved over to the edge, sitting down with his back turned to the rest of the group. He didn’t seem bothered by the short argument at all. At least he didn’t show it in his face.

“We’re a bit lost,” Hyunjin admitted as he sat down beside Felix, his head lowered in shame. “Not like we’re completely off track it’s just… we just don’t know how long it’ll take us to get to the mansion.”

“There is a being around here,” Minho said as he too sat down. He kept looking around, deliberately avoiding to look towards Seungmin. “I can’t tell what it is, nor does the forest understand what it is but…” He licked his lips and swallowed hard. “There’s a lot of death here. I can’t… I can’t focus.”

“As children, my parents used to warn me and my siblings to not go into the Sysiweald Forest,” Jeongin muttered. When all eyes were turned towards him he blinked, gaze flickering between his group members. “I’m sure most of it was just old stories meant to scare kids, but there was the talk about monsters in the woods.”

“There were those stories about the Avaweald as well,” Felix said and Changbin hummed in agreement. “We didn’t see anything in the Avaweald but… I don’t doubt that there’s something. With all the magical beings in the world, there must be monsters.”

“That’s true,” Jeongin said, licking his lips nervously as he looked towards the edge of the forest. Then he looked towards Seungmin. “Is he okay?”

Felix’s eyes lingered on Seungmin’s back for a long time before he spoke. “I’m… I’m sure he is.” Minho didn’t look the slightest bothered. If he was, he wasn’t letting it show on his face. “Maybe just give him some time to think.”

Jeongin hummed, shoulders slumping as he ran a hand through his hair.

“How are you feeling?” Felix asked, turning to Changbin.

It took a moment to receive a reply as Changbin had his eyes fixed on Seungmin. He seemed to think before turning to look at Felix. He let out a sigh. “I’m alright,” he said, reaching up to rub the scale side of his neck. “It doesn’t hurt too bad but I’m just…” He trailed off and shook his head. “I’m a bit drowsy. It happens when I’m injured.”

“I worry,” Felix mumbled, fiddling with his fingers. “Do you think you will be able to travel tomorrow.”

“I’m certain,” Changbin said, voice growing determined as he looked at Felix. “If… Just let me eat and sleep well tonight. I’ll be back to normal tomorrow.”

Felix raised an eyebrow.

“Almost normal at least.” Changbin shrugged. “We recover faster than humans, you know,” he said, amusement blending into his tone.

“Oh.”

“How else did you think Jisung and I managed to get back within two weeks with a torn wing and a broken arm?”

Felix blinked. “I didn’t actually stop to think about that,” he confessed. “I wasn’t told a lot of details regarding that. I still don’t know much about it and I feel very hurt,” he continued, placing a hand on his chest as he feigned hurt. “You two are my best friends yet you decide to withhold this information from me.”

“Back then we did really hate each other and the fact that we had just been alone together for two weeks was bad enough.” He shrugged nonchalantly again. “I guess I just forgot to tell you the details. Although I don’t understand why you would want to know anything about that experience.”

“I’m a very curious soul and you did return from the trip with a different relationship.”

“That’s true…”

“You didn’t attempt to strangle Jisung after that, and Jisung didn’t try to pin the blame on various things on you.”

“Thank the gods in the high heaven for that.”

A laugh slipped past Felix’s lips, way louder than he had intended and he quickly clasped his hands over his mouth. Jeongin blinked in surprise, clearly startled by the sound while Changbin just laughed.

“Can I rest my head on your shoulder?” he asked as the laughter died down. When his smile faded, Felix could see just how tired he was. He looked utterly exhausted.

“Of course,” he replied, moving a little so that he was sitting right next to Changbin, close enough for Changbin to lean his head on Felix’s shoulder. “Comfortable?” he asked as Changbin settled down.

“Not really,” he grumbled and Felix snorted. “But it’s good enough for now.” He brushed his hand absentmindedly down Felix’s forearm. “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me,” Felix mumbled. “Get some rest before Chan and Jisung comes back.”

He looked towards the dark forest, scanning the outskirts of the camping site. Something felt off. Seungmin was still seated at the edge of the light of the campfire, he too staring out into the darkness. Felix turned to the darkness again.

Were they being watched?

Jisung and Chan’s return didn’t offer Felix any chance to speak to Chan either. Chan had immediately had gotten to work with the dinner.

The tension in the group was unbearable and Felix could tell that everyone were on edge. Seungmin kept throwing glances towards Minho, and Minho returned the favor with sending glares in Seungmin’s direction.

If looks could kill, Seungmin would be dead and buried by now.

Felix was curled up against the foot of a tree at the edge of the camping site, sitting between the large roots. He looked towards the group, a small smile tugging on his lips as he watched Jisung help Changbin with changing the bandage. Changbin was frowning and he said something that caused Jisung to pause for a moment and just stare at him. His brows knitted together and he gave Changbin’s knee a light slap, shaking his head as Changbin laughed.

The smile on Felix’s lips immediately faded as he turned to look at the sky above. A heavy feeling settled in his chest and the warmth he had previously felt faded. He felt kind of empty for a moment, and as he did, the silver light around him grew stronger.

It felt like the weight of the world was crashing down on him. He felt so small and insecure; and the further they traveled, the smaller he felt. The more he trained with Seungmin, the bigger the hole in his chest became. He swallowed hard, his eyes wandering the sky and all the constellations. Under the clear sky, he felt so unbelievably small and scared.

The stars were still out, but they seemed to gleam weaker than before. It made something twist uncomfortably inside his chest and he pulled his torn cloak closer to him.

A rustle snapped him out of his daze and he startled in surprise, turning to see Chan approach. He had removed most of the armor from his upper body, only wearing the undershirt. He looked tired, and Felix didn’t blame him.

“Hey,” he said softly. “How are you doing?”

“I-” Felix paused, shuffling a bit to the side to make space for Chan between the large roots of the tree. He patted the ground beside him. “I’m alright, I guess,” he said as Chan sat down beside him. There was a pause and Felix debated with himself what to do before he leaned into Chan’s side. “How are you?” he asked, his heart swelling in his chest as Chan placed an arm around him.

“All things considered, I’m okay,” Chan said and Felix hummed. “I wish things were different.”

“Yeah,” Felix whispered, his mouth dry. He pulled back to look up at Chan. His face was illuminated by the warm glow of the campfire and the cold light from Felix.

“You’re glowing,” Chan said, causing Felix’s breath to hitch. “Even stronger than before.”

Felix nodded, licking his lips nervously.

“It’s pretty,” Chan continued. Felix’s heart stuttered in his chest. “You’re pretty,” he blurted.

Felix snapped his head up to look at Chan and Chan went rigid, realizing what he’d said.

“I mean-”

“I wish the engagement never happened,” Felix said, cutting Chan off with a quiet whisper as his head dropped onto Chan’s shoulder. Chan’s whole body was still tense and Felix swallowed hard, trying to muster whatever courage he had in his body. “How did…” He trailed off, pressing his lips together before speaking up again. “How did you feel after the news?” He brushed his hand down Chan’s forearm, down to his hand only so he could lace their fingers together. “About my engagement?” He looked up at Chan.

Chan remained silent for a moment, eyes meeting Felix’s. He gave Felix’s hand a squeeze, his skin warm against Felix’s.

“I was surprised,” he began, his voice wavering just the slightest. “I was…” He trailed off, looking towards the rest of the group. Without a warning, he let go of Felix hand and stood up. “Come with me,” he said, extending a hand towards Felix.

Felix’s heart was racing in his chest as he took Chan’s hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.

Chan didn’t say anything as he pulled Felix away from the warm fire light and into the darker parts of their camping sight, away from prying eyes.

They were quiet for a moment, their fingers still laced together. Chan tightened his grip of Felix’s hand. “I didn’t want to believe it,” he mumbled, breaking the silence. “When you told me. I felt upset, even though I didn’t have the right to be.”

“You…”

“I’m in love with you Felix, and hearing the news about your engagement broke my heart. I was angry. Then I became furious when Dongyul arrived. For a moment he seemed to be a perfect match. A human prince from a powerful kingdom.” He inhaled sharply. “I didn’t like him, but it wasn’t because he gave me a bad feeling. It was because he was betrothed to you and I wasn’t. I hated him because…” He looked down at their hands, his thumb brushing over Felix’s knuckles. “I hated him because you were going to marry him and not me. I let myself be consumed by my own jealousy and it made me angry. And I-I felt ashamed. For being angry. I didn’t want you to see that side of me.”

“Chan-”

“I know it’s selfish of me,” Chan continued his ramblings. “I shouldn’t be selfish and let my own emotions guide my decisions but I… I didn’t want to let you go. I didn’t want you to marry someone else. I… I wanted to be the one to marry you.”

“You… you wanted to marry me?”

“I still want to,” Chan mumbled quietly. His grip of Felix hand loosened. “I’m sorry, Felix. I shouldn’t be sprouting this nonsense to you. I-”

“Would you stop your ramblings for just a second, please,” Felix said, holding onto Chan’s hand as if he was scared the other would pull away and leave him alone in the dark forest. “Please don’t run away from me again.”

He raised their joined hands to press Chan’s fingers against his lips.

“I know you don’t like being angry around me, but… it’s an emotion and you’re allowed to feel.”

Chan averted his eyes. “I just don’t want to prove people right. I’m not vicious and unstable.”

“I know you’re not,” Felix mumbled, his breath ghosting over Chan’s skin. “You don’t have to prove anything to me.” He licked his lips nervously and took a deep breath. “I’m in love with you.”

The silence that followed rang in Felix’s ears.

They just stood there, staring at one another, holding onto each other tightly.

“You… you’re in love with me?” Chan whispered, blinking rapidly as Felix’s words seemed to sink in.

“I am,” Felix said, his voice just for Chan to hear. “I should have realized it sooner…”

“You’re in love with me,” Chan repeated, letting go of Felix’s hand to instead take his face in his hands. He exhaled loudly, his breath shuddering. “Can I kiss you?”

“I want nothing more,” Felix breathed.

Chan didn’t waste any time. He pressed his lips against Felix’s. They were a bit dry, but Felix didn’t mind. They were just like Chan, warm and gentle.

Felix’s hands found the front of Chan’s jacket and he grabbed a hold of it, tugging Chan closer and deepening the kiss.

“I heard you,” Felix mumbled against Chan’s lips. “Yesterday, when you spoke to me.”

Chan paused, pulling away from Felix. Felix almost whined as the kiss came to an end. “You heard that?” he asked, lowering his head a bit in shame and his hands fell from Felix’s face to instead rest on his waist. “I… Oh, this is embarrassing.”

“Why?” Felix asked, placing a hand on Chan’s jaw to gently tilt his head up, making him meet his gaze.

“You weren’t supposed to hear that.”

“But I did,” Felix said, brushing his thumb over Chan’s cheekbone and he couldn’t help but smile as he saw the faint trace of stardust on Chan’s skin. “If I hadn’t… We wouldn’t be here.”

“Oh.”

“Kiss me again,” he whispered, leaning to Chan.

“Gladly, My Prince,” Chan said, pressing his lips against Felix’s again. He tightened his grip of Felix’s waist, pulling him closer.

Happiness was bubbling in Felix’s chest, his heart growing so big it threatened to burst through his ribcage. As he deepened the kiss, he vaguely registered the way the silver light he gave off flickered, but he was too preoccupied to think about that right now.

All he could think about was Chan.

And Chan didn’t leave his mind during the whole evening. They held onto each other tightly as they returned to their group, ignoring the way the others looked at them. The tension between group members were still heavy but they could solve that tomorrow. For now, Felix wanted to pretend as if things were somewhat normal.

Felix and Chan’s bedrolls were right beside each other, closer than usual and during dinner, Jisung gave Felix a knowing look. Felix only turned his head down to stare into his bowl, his cheeks warm but he wasn’t embarrassed; he was happy.

That night, Felix fell asleep with his fingers brushing over Chan’s and a smile on his lips.

  
  
  


He still felt happy as he thought about Chan, the emotion just buzzing under his skin and sometimes threatened to break through. But then he realized that he was alone, standing in the middle of an almost suffocating, dark space. He couldn’t make out any shapes around him. It was as if the darkness was pushing closer to him, but the silver light that he emitted was fighting it. But the light flickered and it was as if it was weaker than it had been before.

Was he losing his starlight?

It was almost as weak as it had been when he had set out on this journey.

Another silver light suddenly erupted from within the darkness and Felix took a step back in surprise.

“Hello?” he called out, his heart picking up pace in his chest. He looked around, but he still couldn’t see anyone. “Anyone there?”

“Felix?” a very familiar voice asked. A voice so familiar it almost broke Felix’s heart.

“Mother?”

His mother finally emerged from the darkness, lighting up the space even more with her own starlight. She looked exactly like Felix remembered her. Small, heart shaped face, soft purple eyes, a small button nose and long, wavy silver hair. The dress she was wearing reached the ground, a pristine white that seemed to leave a trail of silver behind it.

“Felix,” she said as she took his face in her hands. She was cold to the touch, but Felix didn’t care. “My dear son,” she whispered, pressing her lips against his forehead.

“Mother,” Felix repeated, not really daring to believe it. “But- I don’t understand,” he said, pulling back and away from her grasp to look at her. “You died. I-I was there. I- How? How is this possible?”

His mother studied his face for a long time, staring into his eyes. It was as if she was searching for something.

“You’ve seen me in my constellation,” she said, her voice soft and gentle. She was just like Felix remembered her. “I just couldn’t be here. Physically.” She shook her head sadly.

“Then… then why are you here now?” Felix asked.

“I will show you.” She took his hand, holding onto it tightly. “Do you trust me?”

“I do,” Felix whispered, blinking the tears out of his eyes. He tightened his grip of his mother’s hand and followed her through the darkness. “Where are you taking me?” he asked, looking around but he still could not see anything but darkness and the silver light that the two of them emitted.

“I need somewhere quiet where I can speak with you,” his mother said. “We need to be alone.”

Felix furrowed his brows. Quiet? Alone? It was already quiet all around them. He glanced around. They were already alone. What was she talking about? He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came.

His mother let go of his hand and pulled back. It looked almost as if she was floating underwater, her hair fanning out like a halo around her head.

“You need to break your curse, my child,” she spoke, moving closer to him to press her hand against his chest. Her touch was cold, but somewhat comforting. She stared into his eyes with gentle, deep eyes, scanning his face.

“I do,” Felix breathed.

“I can help you,” his mother said with a smile. She brushed her thumb over the fabric of Felix’s jacket. The mark of the curse pulsed and he bit his lip to stop himself from wincing. “I can fulfill your wish of ridding you from the curse.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that,” his mother confirmed. “All you need to do is say yes.” She held out a hand for him. “Take my hand and say yes, son.”

His hands were trembling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eYYYY fkn finally. a kiss. took them LONG enough jesus christ. And some Minho backstory!! 
> 
> we're almost at the end my friends... owo i'm so excited ahhhh 
> 
> you can find me on cc and twt @pinkpunchmango <3 thank you for reading!


	12. Starless sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _One by one they go out, leaving the sky dark and empty._

Felix blinked as he stared at his mother. His eyes were stinging.

Her voice was so soft it hurt Felix.

Every memory of his mother flooded back to him. The times she sang him lullabies, when she walked him around the castle grounds, when she taught him all the constellation names. When she took him to meet Chan properly for the first time. The time she held his hand as he was introduced to his new guard, Jisung. When she took Felix and Chan into the forest and met Changbin. He remembered all the time he had spent with her, how she never stopped teaching him about the small things in life.

Oh, how he missed her.

Life after his mother’s death had been hard on him. Not only had he lost his mother, but his father too as he had retreated into his chambers and Felix barely saw him for months. The man that had exited the chambers, the day after his mother’s death anniversary was nothing like his father had been before.

He was cold to Felix, barely looked at him. It was as if looking at his own son hurt him too much.

Felix never stayed for long in his father’s presence anymore. Felix wasn’t worth his father’s time. What mattered to his father now was the kingdom and nothing else.

And it hurt.

“My sweetest child,” his mother whispered, her face soft as Felix snapped back to the present. Her hand was still extended towards him, a sad smile on her face. “I know your father hurt you, so deeply. But we can fix this. We can be happy again.”

Felix’s vision was blurry. Maybe he was crying. He rubbed his eyes.

“There is a gem in the mansion, and I will bring you to it. All you need to do it to take my hand, Felix,” she said firmly.

“I-”

“Take it!” she repeated, hissing in a way his mother would never.

“You…” he began, attempting to move backwards. He looked around, seeing only darkness around him. Moving felt odd, like he was floating. “You’re not my mother,” he said as he turned back to face whatever this was.

That broke the spell.

The illusion around him faded. The light from his mother dimmed and he realized that he wasn’t among trees. Or standing on firm ground.

He was submerged in water.

“NO!” the creature that had been his mother shrieked. Her hair turned dark green, like seaweed and her face twisted into something that couldn’t possibly be human. She grew long claws as she reached for Felix, moving too swiftly in the water to actually belong on land.

His heart was racing in his chest and his lungs were starting to ache. He tried to move away from the creature, but it grabbed a hold of his jacket. He couldn’t hold his breath much longer. His lungs were burning, yet he didn’t know how where to go. What was up and what was down? His head was spinning. He fumbled, desperately trying to see if he had a knife on him.

“You’re mine, little star!” the creature hissed, its face twisting and warping further. It looked even less human now. “I’ll drown you!”

Despite the panic that buzzed within, Felix managed to recall what Seungmin had taught him. He grabbed onto the creatures hands and twisted.

The air in his lungs were running out but he needed to focus on getting away from the monster.

The creature let out another shriek as Felix twisted and turned, eventually releasing himself from its grip.

“You’re mine!” it yelled, clawing after him. “Your dreams are mine! I’ll take your breath! You-”

A sudden rumble caused the water to tremble. The creature paused for a second, turning away from Felix. Its body was elongated, more like a snake's body than a human one.

“Dragon,” the creature hissed. “How nice,” it added, its tone shifting from angry to amused.

Felix’s heart was pounding, threatening to break his ribcage.

When he turned back to the creature, his vision blurring by the water, he could have sworn that he saw himself. Wearing white and a crown adorning his silver hair, he stood in front of Chan, saying something.

“I want this torture to end, my love,” the creature wearing Felix’s face said. There was something so sorrowful in his eyes, so gentle and sad as they looked at Chan. “I’ve seen the future and I can see betrayal. Someone will betray you…” It extended a hand. “Take my hand and I’ll tell you who.”

Felix wanted to yell, to stop Chan from taking the creature’s hand. But before he could do anything, someone grabbed his collar and pulled him out of the freezing water.

  
  
  


It was cold. He was shivering as he was pulled out of the water. He could hear everyone talk, their voices loud but his brain was fuzzy and he couldn’t make out much of what he said. He tried to stand up, but stumbled back to the ground. His whole body trembled violently, his wet hair plastered to his forehead and the water ran down his face, getting into his eyes.

“Felix!” Chan said, his voice breaking through the cloud in Felix’s mind. “Are you okay?”

Felix opened his mouth to reply, but instead he rolled over to his side and coughed up water. He could feel a hand on his back as he coughed.

“What do we do?” someone asked, maybe Hyunjin. It kind of sounded like Hyunjin but the voice was distorted. “He’s not breathing!”

Felix rolled onto his back again, attempting to breathe, but he couldn’t. There was a loud curse, maybe coming from Seungmin.

More voices came from all around him, but Felix still couldn’t do anything. He remained frozen, unable to breathe or speak a word. It was as if the sharp claws of the creature held onto his lungs, refusing to let go.

“Move,” another voice said, Jeongin judging by the soft tone.

Felix could hear something being crushed, suddenly extremely aware of what was closest to him. It sounded like dry petals being crushed. He didn’t have time to wonder what it was for before a scent filled his nostrils. It just smelled warm at first, making his body relax. Then a sweet smell entered his nose, like honey with maybe just the faintest hint of vanilla. The last scent that hit him was the scent of wood, sturdy and comforting.

It didn’t feel like his lungs were being pierced by sharp claws anymore.

The air rushed back into his lungs as he could finally breathe again.

“I think he’s waking up,” Jeongin whispered, pulling his hand back and the scents all became weaker.

“What… what happened?” Felix asked as he opened his eyes. He attempted to sit up. His vision was blurry and he blinked a couple of times to get it to clear up, but to no avail. With a defeated sigh, he laid down again.

“You almost drowned,” Jisung said. “There was… there was a thing in the water.”

“A dream devourer,” Chan muttered under his breath.

Felix attempted to open his eyes again. It was a little less blurry now. He turned to look at Chan. Chan looked worried, and maybe a bit angry too… Was he angry at Felix?

“I don’t know what it made you see, but you followed it down into its lair,” Chan said, reaching out to brush his fingers through Felix’s soaked hair.

“I saw my mother,” Felix whispered, his voice cracking. “She… She spoke to me and she promised to help me break the curse. Sh-she knew of something in the mansion. A gem that would break any curse.”

Chan’s expression softened.

“Oh, my little star,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

Felix blinked, this time as tears began to well up. “It wasn’t my mother,” he said, even though he had known it. He wasn’t sure why he felt so upset and overwhelmed all of a sudden.

He could tell the others were shuffling around and moving back, giving Chan and Felix some space and time to themselves.

“I don’t-” Felix looked around, still feeling disoriented. “I never left the camp. I wouldn’t have gone into the forest like that! Not again. I learned my lesson and I-I don’t know how I got there.”

“Shhh, Felix, breathe,” Chan said softly, brushing his hand over Felix’s hair. “I know you didn’t walk into the forest.”

“I’m so stupid,” Felix mumbled, averting his eyes.

“Hey,” Chan whispered, taking Felix’s face in his hands. He gently tilted Felix’s head up, making him look him in the eye. “Dream devourers aren’t physical until you’re in their lair. You can’t protect yourself against them. You never walked into the woods, the creature entered your dream and made you walk into the lake.” He brushed his thumb over Felix’s cheekbone, his skin so warm against Felix’s. “Don’t take on blame on something you cannot help.”

“I’m just-” He fumbled with his hands for a moment, eventually grasping at Chan’s jacket. “I feel like I’ve been so helpless. All I do is have people protecting me and saving me.” He blinked, the tears stinging in his eyes. “I want to be more than just someone in distress. I want to be able to take care of myself.”

“Felix.” Chan brushed his thumb over Felix’s cheekbone. “You have never been taught any of this. You was brought up in a shielded environment. Me, Jisung and Changbin have been trained for years in order to protect you.” He brought Felix’s face closer to his, resting his forehead against Felix’s. “No one is expecting you to all of a sudden know all about fighting and how to protect yourself against the monsters of the world.”

“I- You’re right but…” Felix sighed, his breath fanning over Chan’s lips. “We’re on this path because of me and the least I can do is try to stay safe.” He paused, lips pressed firmly together. “I shouldn’t even have left camp when Seungmin joined us… That was stupid.”

“Maybe a little,” Chan hummed. “But you did say that you heard someone call for help.”

“I did.”

“And you went to try and help them,” Chan continued, his hands still on Felix’s face. “You could have woken Hyunjin up, but I don’t think that wanting to help people is a bad thing. Next time bring someone with you, because splitting up is rarely a good idea, but never stop wanting to help people.”

“I’m sorry,” Felix said.

“Don’t be.”

Felix nodded, tightening his hold of Chan. He needed to think about something else, otherwise he’d be stuck in a loop of just guilt and shame.

“Before I woke up,” he began and Chan hummed, brushing his thumb over Felix’s cheek. “I heard something. It sounded like the crushing of dry petals.”

Chan nodded.

“What was that?”

“That was Jeongin,” Chan said, turning to look in Jeongin’s direction. “I don’t know exactly what it was or what he did but he just pulled out a kind of plant, crushed it in his hands and held it out to you.” He pressed a kiss on Felix’s nose. “You can ask him about it later. For now, you should rest.”

“Rest sounds good,” Felix mumbled as Chan helped him back to his abandoned bedroll. He seemed to just have gotten up and walked off as he was asleep.

Were there more of those? Was that a powerful one? What would happen if another one got to them?

“Hey,” Chan said, his voice a gentle whisper as he poked Felix’s forehead. “I can hear the thoughts spinning in there.”

“I’m just… scared,” Felix replied, averting his gaze as they settled down. As Felix laid down, Chan moved closer but he was still sitting up. “What if there’s more?”

Chan looked over his shoulder. “I think Seungmin went to check our surroundings.” He turned back to Felix and brushed some of Felix’s hair away from his forehead. “Close your eyes and get some rest, little star. I’ll watch over you.”

“You need some rest too,” Felix mumbled, his eyelids already dropping but he tried to force them to stay up as he looked at Chan.

“I will get some,” Chan said, gently closing Felix’s eyes for him. “Now get your sleep. You need all the energy you can spare for tomorrow.”

“We’re close to the ruins,” Felix mumbled, the claws of sleep already digging into him. “Goodnight, love.”

There was a moment of silence, but just before sleep claimed him, Felix heard Chan’s reply.

“Goodnight, love.”

  
  


Despite the fact that he had only gotten a few hours of uninterrupted sleep, Felix felt decent when they continued the travel in the morning. There was still this lingering feeling of tiredness and exhaustion in his bones, but it could definitely be worse. They had set off a bit later than planned, most likely due to Felix.

Oh how he hated to be the reason they slowed down.

It kept gnawing on him as he walked at the back of the group, his pace just ever so slightly slower than the rest.

He was walking in the back, along with Jeongin. Seungmin was at the front of the group together with the forest spirits. Whether or not they had resolved whatever tension remained from yesterday’s argument was uncertain. Chan, Changbin and Jisung were in the middle, mumbling something about checking the forest from above.

“What was that plant?” Felix asked, breaking the silence between him and Jeongin. That seemed to snap Jeongin out of his daze and he turned to Felix with wide eyes.

“What?”

“Chan told me you were the one who saved me,” Felix said and Jeongin let out a soft ‘oh’. “And he mentioned a plant you used. I could hear something as I laid there… and then I could smell it.”

“You were aware of everything?” Jeongin asked, looking even more distressed as Felix nodded. “Wasn’t that scary?”

“It was,” Felix mumbled, looking down to the ground as they walked. “Really scary but… I guess it’s okay. It just has to be okay.” He cleared his throat and straightened his back a bit. His posture was starting to become really bad and he needed to remind himself more and more often to keep his back straight. “What was that plant?”

“It’s… uhm.” There was a rustle as Jeongin paused and turned to rummage through his bag. “I got it from Jiyeon,” he said as he held out a flower. It was like a spire, long with dense floral spikes. Most of the actual flowers were gone, leaving behind a few yellow leaves. “She told me it was called sunbringer in our tongue and she told me to use it sparingly. I have a use or two left of this but it was supposed to heal injury or cure a disease.” He nodded to himself, putting it back in his bag. “I think it worked. I wasn’t sure it would because we didn’t know what had happened to you.”

“Whatever it did, it worked,” Felix said and Jeongin nodded.

“I’m very glad it did,” he said. “I don’t know what we would have done if it hadn’t worked.”

They continued to walk, the few fallen leaves of autumn crunching under their shoes.

“What happened? Before I was pulled out of the water?” Felix asked, breaking the moment of silence.

“I don’t know who was up first, but Seungmin and Chan woke us all up when they realized you were gone. It took us a while. We searched the area but eventually Chan figured out that you were in the lake,” Jeongin explained and Felix nodded, eyes turned to the ground as they crossed a particularly rocky part of the path with a lot of the roots close to the surface. “Chan was in the water first, but Seungmin wasn’t far behind and he was the one who pulled you out.”

“Oh.” Felix glanced to Seungmin ahead of them. Seungmin hadn’t spoken to Felix since the incident. “That’s…” He paused. “That’s awfully nice of him.”

“It is,” Jeongin said, following Felix’s line of sight to look at Seungmin’s back.

“He hasn’t spoken to me since yesterday,” Felix noted.

“He hasn’t?”

“No. But he doesn’t always speak to me so I don’t think anything is wrong with it,” Felix said and Jeongin hummed. “Maybe he’s just focused on the task at hand.”

“Maybe,” Jeongin said, even though he didn’t look convinced. “Maybe there’s something else on his mind.”

Felix didn’t push the subject further, but maybe there was something on Seungmin’s mind.

  
  


It wasn’t often Seungmin walked at the back of the group. He was usually at the front with the forest spirits, even though Minho expressed a very clear dislike for him, but currently he was at the back, seeming to even fall behind a bit. He had been walking ahead of the group, along with Hyunjin, before lunch, but now he was falling behind.

He looked spaced out, just barely acknowledging Felix as Felix joined his side.

“You’ve been quiet ever since… since the lake,” Felix said.

Seungmin hummed.

“I- Thank you, Seungmin,” Felix said, his words causing Seungmin to look at him. “Jeongin told me you were the one who pulled me out.”

“Chan realized that you were gone and figured out where you were,” Seungmin said quietly. “It’s nothing. You don’t need to thank me.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “I think we should stop our training sessions.”

“What?”

“You heard what I said, Felix.” Seungmin stared ahead. There was something reflecting in his eyes. Guilt maybe? Felix wasn’t sure how to read Seungmin as he never really expressed much emotion. “We should be at the ruins soon but let’s not have any more training sessions during our breaks.”

“But- No? I need those training sessions!”

“For what?”

“For what? Seungmin, you yourself said that I have a mad witch and a small army on my trail! I need to be able to protect myself.”

Seungmin mumbled something under his breath, too quiet for Felix to hear.

“You know,” Seungmin began, pulling back his sleeve to reveal the metal cuff with the inscriptions. “These will stop magic users from using their magic, and it will prevent magical beings from shifting.” He looked at Felix. “If you were stuck in there, your light would face. If your dragonguards were put in these, they would be stuck in one shape or the other.”

“O…kay?”

Felix wasn’t sure what to make out of this.

“If you ever need to break someone, or yourself, out of these, you just have to break the chain that they’re stuck to. You don’t need to break the cuff itself.”

“Oh,” Felix said, confused about the turn of conversation. “I… I guess that’s good to know.”

“We’re close, according to Hyunjin,” Seungmin said, changing the subject yet again. Felix was beginning to feel dizzy. He couldn’t keep up. “I spoke to him over lunch and he thought that we’ll reach the ruins by late night or early morning.”

“Did you talk to Minho? About this I mean.”

Seungmin’s expression darkened. “I didn’t.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I know what he’s capable of and I know what he has said to you about my intentions. I know they are not clear, as they are sometimes good, sometimes bad, according to others moral compasses. What I do is always for my own gain. I will not deceive you and make you believe that I’m doing this for you. I’m not.”

Felix’s heart sunk a bit.

“You did save me,” he pointed out and Seungmin chuckled.

“I did,” he said, turning to look ahead of them. “Wouldn’t be able to piss off your asshole fiancé if you’re dead, you know.”

“Oh.”

“You’re way too soft for this side of the world, Felix,” Seungmin said, but before Felix could speak he continued. “I’m not saying you should stop being you.” A small, almost sad smile tugged on his lips. “You feel strongly and please… please don’t stop with that.”

“What do you mean?” Felix asked. “You’re making very little sense right now Seungmin and it’s making me very confused.”

“I guess,” Seungmin said, voice growing irritated and he ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know, Felix.”

“Don’t know what?”

“I don’t know what is waiting for you,” Seungmin said, but something in his tone made Felix doubt his words. “You can’t trust me. I’m not to be trusted. But I am honest when I tell you that Eunkyung is way more than you can imagine and I… I’m sorry.”

“I- What’s going on, Seungmin?”

Seungmin shook his head. “Nothing.” He rubbed his temples. “My head is messed up. I’m messed up. I’m sorry, Felix.”

Before Felix could say anything, Seungmin had left his side and Felix looked around. Seungmin had moved to the back of the group.

“What was that?” Jisung asked as he joined Felix’s side.

“I don’t know,” Felix said, glancing at Seungmin. “I don’t know what happened but he told me a lot of things, apologized for something and I… I’m very unsure of what just happened.”

“Maybe he has a lot to think about,” Jisung said, brows furrowed. “I don’t know much about blade mages, I haven’t met one before, but based on what I’ve heard, they are not usually involved in groups. They don’t usually get emotional ties, as they are created to be emotionless servants.” There was a sad look in his eyes. “Maybe he’s just overwhelmed by suddenly being in a group. Maybe he hasn’t been close to people like this before and it’s a bit too much for him.”

“Oh… maybe that’s it then,” Felix murmured, glancing around again to see if he could see Seungmin. There was something in Felix’s chest that made him feel uneasy about the whole situation.

  
  
  


The temperature was dropping. The winter was approaching, so that made sense, but what didn’t make much sense was the fact that it was already the temperature of later autumn. The drop in the temperature was worrying.

“Is it really this much colder here than around the Avaweald forest?” Felix asked, looking at Hyunjin and Jeongin as the three of them walked together.

“It shouldn’t be,” Hyunjin said with a frown. In contrast to Minho, who blended in better with the Sysiweald Forest than the Avaweald, Hyunjin stood out like a sore thumb. His colors remained bright and lush, while the forest around him seemed to fade.

“This cold when it’s only late summer is indeed odd,” Jeongin said, pressing his lips together. “I never traveled this far into Sysiweald from our farm, but this is getting a bit too much I think.”

Hyunjin hummed, glancing around.

“Something is really wrong here,” he mumbled. “I can’t hear much.” He looked between Jeongin and Felix. “I usually hear the nature speak but it’s… it’s very quiet. Otherwise the nature could speak to me and tell me what is happening.” There was a short pause as he glanced at one of the larger trees they passed by. “I don’t know if I’d like to try and commune with nature here. Something in me tells me that if I do that, all I’ll get in the dying scream of nature and that’s… not very pleasant.”

“What exactly has happened in this forest?” Felix murmured, mostly to himself.

“There has to be something more than just the destruction of the Gangjeon family,” Jeongin mused. He blinked when both Hyunjin and Felix turned to him. “I just mean that I feel like maybe there’s… more in this forest. Something more that hurt it? That is still hurting it? I don’t…” Trailing off, his eyes flickered over to Hyunjin. “I’m not an expert at nature but… I just have this feeling that something else is hurting the forest too? Like something is draining it of its life force and prevents it from recovering from the pain the destruction of the Gangjeons brought.”

“That could be true,” Hyunjin mumbled, chewing on his bottom lip as he thought. “Maybe we’ll find out what that is one day.”

“I could be wrong though,” Jeongin continued. “Maybe everything will just… get better when we’ve figured out what we’re supposed to do at the ruins.”

“I’m more inclined to believe that there’s something else here as well,” Felix said. “I don’t know why but I just have this… feeling. Maybe there’s something else in the forest.”

“Could easily be something else,” Hyunjin said, eyes downcast. “But right now, all I know is that the forest is suffering.” He paused. “It hurts,” he whispered.

Felix looked at him, feeling utterly helpless right now. The only thing he could do was to rub Hyunjin’s arm, attempting to comfort him a bit. He couldn’t hear what Hyunjin and Minho heard, and he could probably not even imagine how terrible it was. He looked over his shoulder to see Seungmin at the back and then he turned to Minho who was at the front of the group.

Seungmin had remained quiet in the back of the group as night grew closer. And along with that, Minho became silent and looked more and more pained. Hyunjin had spoken to him at dinner and Felix had heard him say something was being too loud. It suddenly made a lot of sense.

“I’m going to speak to Minho,” Hyunjin said, quickening his pace a bit. The expression on his face was uneasy and he seemed worried. “I think we’re close.”

Jeongin and Felix watched as Hyunjin joined Minho at the front of the group.

“I’m scared,” Jeongin said after a moment of silence. “I know I… The situation I’m in is nothing like yours but I-I’m really scared.”

“I don’t blame you,” Felix mumbled, and for a second it was as if the emotions inside him just vanished. He felt nothing at all.

“Are you okay?” Chan asked, joining Felix and Jeongin.

Felix blinked, the fear and worry he had felt previously returning to him and it felt like it was choking him. His throat felt thick and he could only nod.

Jeongin gave him a curious look.

“I’m fine,” Felix said, shaking his head. “It’s… That was odd.”

“What was?” Jeongin asked.

“I just got a weird feeling,” Felix said. “It’s gone now.”

“This forest is really unsettling,” Chan said, earning a hum of agreement from both Felix and Jeongin. “I can’t wait to reach the ruin and get this over with.”

When he said it, he made it sound so easy. Felix wanted to believe him. Maybe there was just some almighty gemstone in there that could end the curse and erase the threat. But that was way too easy. Hyunjung had told him that the curse would end at these ruins, but not how it would end.

He would have to find that out himself.

Too caught up in his own thought, Felix didn’t notice that the forest spirits ahead of them had stopped and he almost walked straight into them.

The whole group came to a standstill and there was an eerie silence among them.

Minho exhaled, his breath shuddering, and he stared into the darkness.

“What..?” Felix asked, not daring to raise his voice much louder than a whisper.

Minho didn’t speak. Neither did Hyunjin. The two forest spirits stood there, staring. In the cold air, their breaths formed small puffs of mist. Minho raised a hand to point at something among the dense trees. His hand was trembling.

It felt as if Felix’s blood froze to ice within him as he saw it. He inhaled sharply, and in the corner of his eye, he could see Chan tense up. A hand grabbed onto his, holding on tight.

In front of them, just barely visible from the path they walked was the ruins of a previously large house, still mostly hidden by the dense bush and shrubbery.

There was a howl of something, and Felix finally understood what Minho had meant when he had spoken of the pained screams of the dead. The sound was shrill, piercing Felix’s very soul and causing him to shiver.

He braced himself and turned to the sky.

There were no stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me fuckin forever hfdhjd im so soRRY hjhjdf
> 
> thank you all so much for the patience with me o<-< i promise to not take as long for the next chapter!


	13. In the ruins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The whispers of the ruins are those of pain. Something is hiding in there._

The Gangjeon ruins were everything Felix had expected, yet so very unlike what he had expected. It was an odd sensation and he wasn’t certain how to express it. He could only stand there, a shiver running down his spine.

It was as if the forest was eating away the ruins, moss and vines covering most of the manmade structures. The mansion itself had clearly been bigger and been surrounded by a large plot of open landscape, but the only thing that remained somewhat intact seemed to be the main building. To the left of the mansion was the remnants of another building, possibly a stable of barracks for the guards, but with the wear and tear by time made it difficult to see exactly what it had once been.

They stood in the border of the forest, right in the line where the thick forest ended and became low underbrush, tangling vines and dark moss.

As he turned his gaze to the dark sky, Felix’s gut twisted. He was once against reminded of the fact that the stars were gone. It made his heart heavy and his skin crawl. This was so unnatural but he didn’t understand what was causing the stars to vanish like this. But it wasn’t only the lack of stars that caused his discomfort. The way the tree tops grew here was odd.

While the tree line stopped in almost a perfect circle around the ruins, the tops of them reached further. The tree tops were thick and covered most of the sky. It wouldn’t let much light through, should there be any light from the sky. It was as if the forest itself was trying to bury the mansion and hide every little remnant of it.

“They said there was a fire here,” Minho said out-loud as they walked closer. His eyes traveled around their surroundings, never stopping.

“It must have been something else,” Hyunjin added and Minho hummed. “There’s… there’s so much here.”

“Can you hear anything?” Felix asked, his question directed at Hyunjin.

Hyunjin shook his head. “I can’t hear anything like Minho. I could hear it before but now… Nothing. I can feel that something is off.”

“I can’t hear much either,” Minho said after a moment. “It’s like the forest is trying to suffocate everything here.” He licked his lips. “The forest around here has suffered… It’s still suffering but it won’t reveal why.“

“That’s weird,” Hyunjin mused.

They continued to walk in silence, the moss crunching softly under their feet. None of them spoke as they reached the crumbled remains of the wall. It seemed to have been a low wall. An icy wind blew past them, chilling Felix to the core and that emptiness that had struck him before returned. He felt cold inside for a moment as his emotions grew numb. He didn’t feel scared for a moment. The silver light grew stronger as he blankly stared at the ruins.

“Felix?” Chan said, snapping Felix out of his daze. The silver light flickered and Felix turned to look at Chan, breath shuddering as he exhaled. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know,” Felix whispered. He still felt somewhat numb.

“What do we do now?” Jeongin asked carefully, looking between everyone in the group.

“Let’s split up,” Seungmin said, speaking up for the first time in a while before taking a deep breath as he glanced around the ruins. “The mansion is huge and the best way to cover the most ground is to split up.” He glanced over the group. “If we go two and two we should be alright.”

“I don’t think splitting up is a good idea,” Chan said carefully, also looking around. He turned to face Seungmin. “What if Dongyul’s soldiers have caught up and are already here?”

“They haven’t,” Seungmin said, seemingly convinced. He took a deep breath, eyes narrowing on Chan. “I just know they haven’t.” His voice was trembling ever so slightly.

“How can you be sure?” Jisung asked, nervously glancing between Chan and Seungmin.

Seungmin pulled the small vial of blood out of his pocket. “This,” he said, giving it a shake and Chan let out a low growl. “Calm down, dragonguard. It’s animal blood,” he said, rolling his eyes. “It allows me to track almost anyone. Anyone without a magic protection over them. I can track the soldiers.” He narrowed his eyes, fixing them at Chan. “I know they’re not here.”

“We should be fast and just look through the mansion,” Felix agreed quietly, taking a small step closer to Seungmin. “We shouldn’t stay for too long.”

“I still don’t know how I feel about splitting up,” Chan said, frowning.

“We’ll be faster if we split up,” Felix pointed out and Chan exhaled loudly through his nose. Something inside Felix twisted and he felt a spark of irritation. “If we’re fast we can reunite faster too,” he continued, irritation bleeding into his voice.

“What if something happens to any of us?” Chan asked, crossing his arms across his chest. “How are we supposed to know if something happens?”

“It’s not a big place,” Felix retorted, gesturing to the building. “I think we’ll know.”

“Felix can come with me,” Seungmin said, grabbing onto Felix’s wrist.

Chan immediately tensed up and he gritted his teeth. “Absolutely not. I’m not letting him-”

“Would you just stop?” Felix snapped before he could stop himself. “Can you stop being so overbearing? I get that you want to protect me and don’t think I don’t appreciate it but enough is enough, Chan!” he said, his words coming out way harsher than he intended. It was an odd sensation, as it seemed like he just couldn’t stop talking. “I know I’m not as skilled as you are in fighting, you don’t have to rub it in like that. I can take care of myself, Chan.”

Chan’s hands balled into fists and Felix didn’t miss the glimmer of dark gray scales climbing up the back of Chan’s neck.

The silver light that Felix emitted became stronger.

“Hey,” Jisung said cautiously, stepping between Chan and Felix. Changbin was right behind him, glancing between all three of them. “Let’s not start an argument here, shall we?”

There was a moment where Felix and Chan just stared at each other. That spark of anger was still burning in Felix’s chest and he refused to back down.

“Fine,” Chan finally said between gritted teeth. There was an underlying growl in his voice; the sound was clearly not human. “Have it your way. Let’s split up.”

“What?” Jisung and Changbin said in unison, turning to look at Chan.

“Let’s split up,” Chan said, glaring at Seungmin as he took a step away from Felix. “Seungmin and Felix are one pair. I’ll go with Jeongin.”

“We’ll take the east side of the ruins,” Seungmin said, voice strained and he avoided looking at the others in the group. “Let’s be as quick as possible and we’ll meet up here again.”

“Sounds… like a plan,” Jisung said slowly. He didn’t sound convinced at all. “We’ll take the other side then.”

Changbin let out a disapproving sound as Jisung grabbed his arm to pull him away.

“Be careful,” Hyunjin said. “Minho and I will look around the forest close by. Maybe we can get some answers from the forest.”

Minho stared at Seungmin, eyes narrowed. But before he could say anything, Seungmin had pulled Felix away from them.

Felix didn’t get a chance to speak to Chan. He only managed to catch Chan’s gaze for a brief second. Chan looked… sad? But then he frowned and turned away, mumbling for Jeongin to follow as they headed towards the ruins. Jeongin looked terrified, but he didn’t say anything.

The expression on Chan’s face lingered in Felix mind as he and Seungmin walked along the east side. He shook his head, trying to focus on the task at hand.

“I shouldn’t have gotten angry,” he said, stepping over a piece of crumbled wall.

“That may have been an overreaction, yes,” Seungmin said calmly. He sounded way too calm for them to be in the ruins of a likely cursed mansion. “But I… I don’t blame you. There’s a lot of things going on.”

“I should apologize to Chan later,” Felix mumbled.

Seungmin was silent for a moment. “Maybe that’s… a good idea.”

“You’ve been acting very strange, Seungmin,” Felix said, glancing around their surroundings. “You’ve been kind of strange and cryptic from the start, but now… it’s even stranger.”

He didn’t miss the way Seungmin tensed up.

“You know that I’m created by someone, correct?”

“Yes?”

“I’ve never… I used to have a family. I used to live in Augdun with my parents.” He paused for a moment, seeming to consider his words. “Things happened. I lost them and…” He gestured to himself. “I was made into this.”

Felix nodded, heart clenching in his chest. He couldn’t imagine how Seungmin felt.

“I’ve been alone for a very long time. I don’t know how it feels to be a part of a real family and I don’t know what love feels like. I’ve forgotten all about it. What I do know is how to numb emotions, how to put up a wall and a face to the outside to make it seem like I’m a good person.”

“I think you’re a good person, Seungmin. Deep down, I think there’s a good person.”

“Under all the lies, maybe,” Seungmin mumbled. “As I traveled with you I… I- Thank you, Felix.”

“For what?”

“For seeing something good in me,” Seungmin said, head lowered. “There’s nothing in me that can redeem the things I’ve done. I’m a bad person, yet… you see something good in me. You and the others accepted me, despite knowing what I am and what I can do.”

“I strongly believe that if you’d been free to do what you wish, you wouldn’t do bad things. But living in a society that refuses blade mages can’t be easy I imagine.” Seungmin was starting to fall behind, but when Felix glanced back at him, he offered Felix a small but genuine smile. “When I’m king, I’m going to help blade mages.”

“That’s very noble of you,” Seungmin mumbled. “You’re too soft and kind for this world, Felix. It breaks my heart.”

“What does?”

“Knowing what is to come.”

Felix halted and spun around to confront Seungmin. He was being cryptic again. But when he looked back, he was met with only darkness.

Seungmin had vanished.

  
  


He was no longer walking along the east side of the ruins. His search for Seungmin had begun to lead him into the remains of the main building. As he walked, it had seemed like it was getting darker.

“Hello?” he called out, but he was met with only a cold echo.

The darkness around him began to pull back as his silver light grew stronger, making it easier to see what was around him. He looked around, his chest tightening at the sight of a familiar courtyard, a broken fountain in the middle. He had never been here before, but he recalled his dream.

“Seungmin?” he called out, hoping for a reply. He took a slow step forward, his whole body trembling. He was all alone in the courtyard. Panic was starting to rise within him, his heart picking up pace. Where were the others? He called their names but received no reply.

Why had he agreed with Seungmin? He didn’t understand it, as he looked back at the decision. Splitting up was always a terrible idea? Why had he agreed with Seungmin?

Why had Seungmin suggested it?

“Look at this little star,” a familiar voice cooed, breaking Felix’s daze. “All alone too.”

Felix’s blood ran cold.

“Stay right where you are,” Eunkyung said, her words causing Felix’s body to lock in place.

The sound of multiple people wearing armor echoed in the room.

Felix stood there, body frozen in place and dread coiling in his gut. He knew this place. He knew this place. He stared at Eunkyung in front of him as she stepped out into the light he emitted.

She stood there in a pristine, white dress. It was adorned by shimmering green embroideries and as she walked across the crackled marble floor, the dress dragged along the floor, kicking up just the faintest bit of dust. Behind her was Dongyul, dressed in either dark colors or black. It was difficult to make out exactly in the flickering silver light.

Torches seemed to appear out of nowhere and provided them all more light. Behind Eunkyung and Dongyul were Dongyul’s soldiers, all wearing armor and the same, dull green half-capes they had been wearing when Dongyul had arrived to Serenn.

Felix gritted his teeth.

“My little, little prince,” she cooed, grabbing his chin. She tilted his head to the sides, studying his face closely. “You’ve started to become quite the star, haven’t you?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know,” she began, taking one of his hands. Her hands were cold against his and it sent a shiver down his spine. He wanted nothing but to pull his hand away. “No matter how much we try, we have to remember that you’re only half a star. Your celestial genes are tainted and ruined by human traits.” She shook her head. “I need the heart of a star to accomplish my goal.”

“What are you going to do with it?” Felix asked, afraid of the answer.

“The heart of a star carries the light of life itself and it’s the ultimate source of power,” she purred, grabbing his chin to force him to look at her. “With the heart of a star I will be able to accomplish anything.”

“But I’m not a star. Not a full one,” he protested. “You just said so yourself.”

“I did,” she hummed, stroking her finger along his jaw. “What I love about half-celestials is that you have the chance to become a complete celestial.”

“What?”

“Your mother was a kind woman,” Eunkyung began. “Way too trusting and kind. Oblivious to the actual world outside the castle. I’m not surprised to learn that she didn’t tell you anything about this process.”

“What process? A-and did you know my mother?” he asked, his lips trembling as his heart was hammering in his chest.

“You don’t understand how delighted I was to learn that the kingdom of Serenn had a fallen star as their queen,” Eunkyung began, pulling her hand back. As she spoke, she watched Felix closely, like a predator watching its prey. “But I couldn’t just march in there and kill her. I wanted to stay on good terms with the king.” She scoffed. “He didn’t even recognize me until he was back in the dungeons, bleeding and begging for his life.”

“Who are you?”

“I worked as a servant for your mother. I was her personal maid for some time.” She paused, tilting her head. “She’s just like you,” she sneered. “The human world had made her soft, kind and gullible. She never expected that anyone would try to hurt her. Even as she laid there on her deathbed, she still told me she treasured me.”

“You killed her,” Felix breathed, feeling as if his world crumbled around him. “You killed my mother.”

“Sadly, I did,” Eunkyung said, shaking her head. “She died before I could get to her, and a dead star’s heart is about as useful as a rock.” She shook her head to herself. “That was a mistake I’ll never forgive myself for making. Had I succeeded, I wouldn’t have had to spend years on researching and devising a plan.”

Tears were rolling down Felix’s cheeks. He didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t find the words. He had been told that his mother died of a sickness. But that had all been a lie. She had been murdered for the same reason Felix was about to killed. She had been murdered because of what she was.

Had his father known? Was that why he had been so protective of Felix? So distant? Was he afraid Felix would be killed for the same reason?

The questions never stopped spinning in Felix’s mind.

“We should hurry before any of the others catch up to him,” Dongyul said and Felix snapped his head around to stare at him.

“Did you know about this?” he demanded but Dongyul simply kept quiet. “You’re a terrible person Dongyul!” His voice was growing louder. “If I ever get out of this I swear I’ll kill you!”

“Oh this is perfect,” Eunkyung said, clasping her hands together. “Don’t worry little one, you’ll have blood on your hands soon enough. Now come with me.”

She began to lead him up the curved stairs, the left one as the right one had crumbled. Dread was coiling in Felix’s gut as he remembered the dream. He had walked these stairs.

“The curse will be broken,” Felix said, trying his best to keep a brave face. “Hyunjung predicted the future and she told me the curse will be broken.”

Eunkyung scoffed. “I don’t know what the hag Hyunjung told you about her abilities. But she’s very lacking in magic, so I don’t know why you would trust her little fortune telling trick.” She tucked some of her blonde hair behind her ear. “She’s weak. She couldn’t even foresee the attack on her precious little forest, allowing her loved ones to be hurt.”

“Why did you attack their forest? Why do you need to hurt people?”

Felix knew he was just stalling. He didn’t know why, but somewhere deep inside he told himself that his friends would catch up and help him out of this situation.

“They’re a bit more common than the heart of a star, but the core of a spirit tree is also very powerful. I needed one in order to grow stronger. So I simply took it.”

“You’re rotten,” Felix hissed. “I despise you. I never want to see you again.”

“Well then it’s your lucky day, little prince,” she replied dryly. “We’re here.”

Here. The large room. What looked to have been a ballroom. Felix’s blood ran cold. It was the same room where he had seen the cuffs and the green chain. He looked down at his chest, making sure there was no chain. Despite the lack of a chain, he still felt unsettled and scared. The heavy sound of the soldiers following them into the room echoed all around him.

“What are you..?” Felix trailed off, deciding he didn’t want an answer to his question.

“We need to complete the process.”

Felix’s gut turned.

“To become a star, you need to let go of what makes you human,” Eunkyung began, inspecting her nails nonchalantly before locking eyes with Felix. A grin stretched on her lips. “We needed to get you to let go of your human emotions. The more numb you become, the more light you will give off.”

The silver light that emitted from him now sickened Felix to the core.

“But I don’t- You- In the tower! You tried to kill me!” he exclaimed. “Seungmin helped me out of there.”

“Oh,” Eunkyung said, her tone soft and pitying. “You thought you’d actually get away from me? Oh darling, we had to play the long game. You were never going to die in that tower. Getting you out of there was a part of the plan.”

The sound of footsteps echoed as another figure joined Eunkyung and Dongyul.

Felix’s heart sank as they removed the hood.

“Nor was Seungmin really sent out to kill you,” Eunkyung said, turning to Seungmin with glee all over her face. She pinched his cheek but Seungmin quickly pulled away from her. “Isn’t he impressive? My best creation so far.”

“Y-you lied to me,” Felix stuttered, tears blurring his vision as realization settled inside. His friends were never going to make it here. Seungmin wasn’t his friend.

“I didn’t want to do it,” Seungmin whispered, but he was quickly hushed. "I'm so sorry."

“He is a bit faulty, but I believe he did his job correctly,” Eunkyung said.

Seungmin lowered his head and took a step back.

“You see, him training you was all a part of this. He was supposed to make you feel less compassion but he couldn’t do the last part of this process alone. We needed a bit more preparations for that.” She looked as if she was about to explode with giddiness. “Dongyul, please hand him the knife.”

“Don’t come closer,” Felix warned as Dongyul walked up to him. He pulled out a knife from his belt, offering Felix the hilt.

“Take the knife,” Eunkyung instructed and Felix’s body followed, even if he tried to struggle against it.

The knife was cold in his grasp and Felix stared at it. His hands were trembling.

Eunkyung snapping her fingers caused him to look up. Another part of the room had lit up, only a bit by a lantern in the corner. But with the added light, Felix could see a person on the floor, on their knees and bound by heavy chains.

The chains from his dream.

“Chan,” Felix whispered as Eunkyung beckoned him closer. As he got closer, the silver light that he emitted dimmed a bit and Eunkyung sighed loudly in disappointment.

Chan was straining against the chains, the ones around his wrists pulled taunt but every time he tried to pull, they gave off a faint blue glow. When he locked eyes with Felix, he stopped struggling, the chains going limp.

“Felix.”

“Oh, isn't that’s sweet?” Eunkyung cooed. “This is exactly what we need for the last part of this process.”

“What?” Felix asked, staring at Eunkyung as the two of them stopped in front of Chan.

“We need a full star, and your light dimmed when he’s close.” She shook her head to herself. Then something gleamed in her eyes. “We need to get rid of him.”

“No,” Felix breathed, feeling panic starting to rise within him. “No, no, no, I beg you! You can take anything from me, but not him. Please. Not him.”

“Little prince,” Eunkyung said, taking Felix’s face in her hands. She gently turned his head to make him look at Chan and she leaned closer to whisper in his ear. “Kill him.”

A sob escaped Felix as he turned towards Chan, the knife in a tight grip.

“Felix,” Chan breathed, his eyes softening when they locked eyes again. He opened his mouth to say something else but before he could, Dongyul walked over and shoved him back, causing him to land on his back.

Felix didn’t even look up at Dongyul or Eunkyung.

“Why aren’t you shifting?” he asked as he straddled Chan, sitting down on top of him. His hands were trembling and he just tried to fight against it. It didn’t work, but he could slow his movements at least. “Shift into a dragon!”

“I can’t,” Chan said softly, tugging at the cuffs that chained him to the floor. In his own silver light, Felix could see those symbols. They were identical to the one Seungmin had showed them, the chain that suppressed magic.

“Then just stop me,” Felix said, his voice cracking as he raised the knife. “Please fight against this, Chan.” His voice was growing panicked and he tried to think of a way to stop this. He needed to stop this. He couldn’t lose Chan. “Please stop me, Chan. Hit me! Anything! Just-”

“Felix,” Chan said. “Can you lean down?”

He did and for a moment, the straining against Eunkyung’s magic subsided. It was as if this was a breathing pause.

Chan took Felix’s face in his hands, craning his neck as he tugged Felix down for a kiss. Then he let go, resting his head on the cold, cracked marble.

“Why aren’t you trying to stop me?” Felix sobbed, his hand raised and the knife gleaming silver.

“I can’t risk hurting you,” Chan whispered, his words only for Felix to hear. “The curse will be broken here. If I have to die, then so be it. I will not hurt you.” He sighed, closing his eyes. He looked peaceful for a moment.

Felix’s muscles tensed up, his chest tightening as he felt a strange pull. He couldn’t hold back his hand much longer, no matter how much he tried. He was weak and he was going to kill Chan because of that.

“I’m so sorry, Chan,” he sobbed, bowing his head down. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you. I shouldn’t have gotten angry with you. I shouldn’t have gone with Seungmin.”

Silver tears landed at the front of Chan’s armor, glowing like small stars.

“Little star,” Chan whispered. Felix could barely see him through the tears, but he could tell that Chan was smiling. “It’s okay.”

"It's not okay," Felix cried out.

If Chan was the price to pay to become a celestial, Felix wanted none of it. He’d rather be no one than to live without Chan.

“Do it, Felix,” Eunkyung said, her voice impatient.

Felix’s body obeyed.

“NO!” Felix screamed as his hand moved without his permission, bringing the knife down towards Chan.

The sound of his scream echoed in the broken hall. And golden light filled the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a specialist at cliffhangers and this chapter is no exception heheheh sorry about that
> 
> if you wanna yell at me you can yell on [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/pinkpunchmango) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/pinkpunchmango) uwu <3 comments are very much appreciated hehe
> 
> Next chapter might take some time as.... there might be some action and im the slowest action writer in the world haha orz


	14. Gold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The sun bathes the world in gold._

The light faded and Felix stared down at Chan.

Chan stared back. Still very much alive.

Chan’s face was illuminated by bright golden light. His lips moved, but no sound came. As if he couldn’t find the right words. The dagger laid shattered on the marble floor beside him as it had impacted the chain. The chain hadn’t broken, but it had cracked.

“Felix…” Chan breathed.

Felix exhaled, his breath shuddering. He reached out to brush his fingers over Chan’s cheek. As he did, he left a trail of golden stardust on Chan’s skin. He blinked and turned his hand over to look at his palm. What had previously been silver was now gold.

“What..?” he began, but the moment was broken by a harsh tug to the side.

He was pulled to the side, off Chan and he hit the hard floor with a thud. When he sat up, letting out a whimper in pain, he could see the green, almost spectral chain that was connected to his chest and tied him to Eunkyung.

“What have you _done_?” Eunkyung snarled, tugging at the chain again and Felix cried out in pain. Every tug sent a shock of searing pain through his body. “You’ve ruined everything!”

Seungmin stared at him, eyes wide and jaw slack. Felix had never seen him genuinely surprised.

Dongyul moved in the corner of Felix’s eyes, seeming to give some orders to the soldiers around them.

“You’ve ruined everything!” Eunkyung shrieked again, tugging at the chain. “I’ll kill you, little prince. I’ll kill you!”

“I’m not taking your orders anymore,” Felix said, his voice firm and he straightened his back. “I’ve had enough of this.” He grabbed the chain, crying out in pain as it scorched his hand. He pulled it back, looking at the burned skin.

“You’re not getting away from me,” Eunkyung snarled, her voice getting louder. “No one ever gets away from me. I always get what I want!”

“No!” Felix yelled back. He refused to let her dictate what he did. “You don’t have any power over me!”

He grabbed the chain again. Despite the spectral appearance, it felt like metal under his touch. Hot metal as it seared away at his skin. With gritted teeth, he endured the pain and held on. The green light of the chain flared up at the same time as Felix’s own golden light brightened.

Tears were gathering in his eyes and he cried out in pain.

It hurt. It hurt so much. But he refused to let go.

“I refuse to let you dictate my actions!” Felix yelled, yanking at the chain.

It sounded like glass shattering as the chain broke, the translucent pieces falling to the broken ground with loud clanks followed by Eunkyung’s shriek in anger.

Felix’s breathing was heavy as he looked at the marbled floor. The chain had burned his hands. They trembled violently as Felix looked at them. The skin was raw, red and peeled back, but there was a faint golden glow coming from within the wound. From within Felix himself.

“LOOK AT ME!” Eunkyung yelled.

Felix didn’t want to. His body didn’t tense up like it usually did. It didn’t listen to her commands anymore.

“How dare you?” Eunkyung sneered, grimacing as Felix looked up at her. Her face was twisted, her hair tousled and the look in her eyes was wild. “I will kill everyone you love. I will ruin your life, little prince. I’ll save you for last,” she spat.

“I won’t let you do that,” Felix said, his voice trembling as he took a step towards her.

“I’d stop right there if I were you,” Dongyul said, words causing Felix to freeze in place and Felix turned to his ex-fiancé, eyes widening as Dongyul held a struggling Jeongin against his chest, the blade of a knife pressed against Jeongin’s throat. “I would hate to have the blood of an innocent servant boy on my hands, but I will do what’s necessary.”

“What have you done to my friends?” Felix hissed.

“My new dragon allies are dealing with the other two dragons and the forest spirits,” Dongyul said, tightening his grip of Jeongin. “This little one was wandering with that filthy dragon.”

Jeongin looked terrified, his eyes wide and cheeks tear streaked.

“I despise you, Dongyul,” Felix spat. “You don’t deserve anything and I’ll make sure you’ll be punished properly.”

Dongyul laughed, the sound causing Felix’s stomach to twist.

“Big words for someone who is alone among the enemy,” Dongyul said, smug grin on his face.

Felix wanted nothing but to punch him right now. He took a deep breath, shuddering as he exhaled.

“You better do exactly as Eunkyung says, or else I’ll slit this poor boy’s throat.”

Felix gritted his teeth.

“His life is on the line, Felix.” He pressed the blade against Jeongin’s throat, causing Jeongin to cry out in pain. “He’s too young to die like this, isn’t he?”

“Felix, don’t-” Jeongin began, but was cut off by Dongyul.

“Be quiet, filthy peasant.”

Beside him, the chains rattled as Chan struggled against them.

“Please don’t hurt him,” Felix whispered. He lowered his head, looking towards Eunkyung. “I’ll… I’ll do what you want.”

“Felix, no!” Chan yelled.

“What a good boy,” Eunkyung purred, a wicked grin on her lips as she took a step forward. She tilted her head to the side, studying Felix closely. “This is not ideal, but I’m sure I can work with this.”

She was so close now. Felix’s whole body trembled with fear. He didn’t want to die, but he didn’t want his friends to suffer because of him.

Eunkyung reached out towards him, her hand seemingly more bony and nails more claw-like than before.

“Don’t you dare touch him,” Seungmin said, causing Eunkyung to halt her movement and she turned to look at him. Seungmin had one hatchet in his hand, standing just by Chan. “Back away from him or I’ll let the dragon go.”

“Oh, Seungmin,” Eunkyung purred. “Sweetheart.” She laughed and it echoed between the cold stone walls. “You’re mine. Do you hear that? Mine. You can’t disobey me.”

Seungmin snorted.

“You don’t have that kind of power over me.”

“Traveling with this group has made you soft, Seungmin. It’s disgusting. They don’t like you. All of them wish they’d never met you. They wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.” She gestured around her. “This is your doing. You put them here and you caused them all this pain.” She grinned as Seungmin lowered his head. “If you let the dragon go, imagine what’s going to happen to the poor servant boy.” She snickered. “You care about him, don’t you? Wouldn’t it hurt to see him bleed to death?”

Seungmin took a deep breath, eyes flickering between Chan, Eunkyung and Jeongin.

“That’s a risk I’m willing to take,” he said, raising his hatchet before bringing it down on the one of the chains that were connected to a magic cuff.

As the sound of another chain breaking echoed in the room, Felix snapped his head around towards Jeongin. He could see Dongyul move, plunging his dagger towards Jeongin’s throat. Felix’s heart leapt in his chest, his blood running cold with fear. But then a light appeared and Dongyul yelped.

From the brooch around Jeongin’s neck, a semi-translucent shield in purple appeared, forcing Dongyul to let go of him.

“GUARDS!” Dongyul yelled as Jeongin fumbled with the brooch-turned-shield for a moment. “GET THEM!”

Another chain broke just as the soldiers began to rush towards them.

The torch light flickered and a roar shook the whole building.

Felix spun around to see the gray dragon, its head almost reaching the very tall ceiling of the ballroom.

“Felix!” Jeongin said, bumping into Felix as he blocked a blow from one of Dongyul’s soldiers. “You- I- Are you okay?”

“Fine!” Felix yelled back, grabbing onto Jeongin’s shoulders as they backed away from the approaching soldiers.

They weren’t swarmed immediately, as most soldiers turned their attention to the enormous dragon in the room. The building trembled with each movement of the dragon.

“What do we do?” Jeongin asked, shielding them from yet another blow.

As Felix was about to reply, there was a quick flash of blue and the soldier immediately ahead of them slumped to the ground as a sword was thrust through his chest. The sword dissipated into nothing, revealing Seungmin in the midst of the soldiers.

Before the one beside him could react, Seungmin grabbed onto them and conjured another blade. The soldier yelled something, gurgling out the word ‘traitor’ before they fell to the ground, neck bleeding and the red soaking into the cracked marble.

“Here,” Seungmin said, handing over the bloody short sword to Felix and a new one to Jeongin. He locked eyes with Felix for a moment, and there was something so sad in his gaze. “I’m sorry.”

“Let’s talk later, shall we?” Jeongin panted, raising the shield again.

“Yes, good plan,” Felix said, moving to the side as one of the soldiers lunged at him.

There was a bright light as Eunkyung attempted to hit Chan with a spell. The building shook and parts of the ceiling began to fall as the dragon threw himself to the side, and the sickening green ray of magic struck. 

Eunkyung was losing her composure. Her white dress was stained with dirt as she had to duck away from the tail of the dragon.

Soldiers shouted as they were caught by the tail and brought to the ground. 

A sudden union of roars rumbled outside like thunder in the cold air and in a matter of seconds, one of the few remaining walls were brought down as a white dragon crashed through it.

There was so much noise, so many people around him and so much going on that Felix struggled to keep focus. He couldn’t do much but try and keep out of the way as now two dragons attempted to fit into the room. It was a big room, but not big enough for two adult dragons.

He imagined that Jisung wasn’t far behind.

As Changbin let out a roar, another shadow moved behind him. It wasn’t the red dragon form of Jisung, but instead that green dragon from Mondum. The dragon wrapped itself around Changbin before twisting around, hauling them both to the ground below.

That prompted Chan to get out of the room. Like a cat he launched himself through the hole made by Changbin.

The building shook, large pieces of stone beginning to come loose as the three dragons tumbled outside. The arrival of the white dragon seemed to alarm the soldiers and they began to pull back.

Another dragon appeared, slim neck and red scales. It was smaller than the others, climbing in through the hole without any issue and it bellowed. Jisung scanned the room, eyes locking on Eunkyung before he lunged after the witch.

From where she had been, a bright light erupted and Jisung’s howl of pain echoed in the room. Felix could see Jisung’s form shrink as he turned back into a human, tumbling to the broken floor. 

The soldiers were fleeing into all directions now, paying no mind to Jisung as he pushed himself up on his feet again. Felix was about to run over to Jisung, but then he saw him.

Among the fleeing soldiers, in the chaos as they ran, stood Dongyul. He screamed at them, telling them that they were cowards. He appeared furious and his eyes darkened as he spotted Felix.

With no one around him, as all the soldiers had turned to run, Felix straightened his back and willed himself to remain where he stood.

“You ruined everything,” Dongyul yelled as he lunged at Felix, grabbing his collar. “I’m doomed to be the least influential member of my family now! You destroyed my only chance.”

“I didn’t ruin anything,” Felix spat, his grip of the blade tightening. “You got yourself into this, Dongyul. You made this deal with this witch and I’m going to make sure you pay for it.”

“Big words for someone so weak,” Dongyul retorted. “You’re just a sheltered little prince. So weak and soft.”

Felix sighed, relaxing in Dongyul’s grip for a moment and his skin crawled as a triumphant grin stretched on Dongyul’s lips.

“Your father never wanted to set you up for marriage,” he began. “We had to request the union for a very long time until he finally gave in. He wanted nothing to do with the outside, said something about keeping you safe from the world.”

Felix’s blood was boiling.

“I understand now why he wanted to protect you,” Dongyul snickered. “You can’t even protect yourself.”

As he said that, his grip loosened for a split second and Felix took the opportunity to move, freeing himself from Dongyul. In the moment of surprise, he struck Dongyul with the short sword, just as Seungmin had taught him and shoved the man backwards.

He got on top of Dongyul, pressing the blade against his throat to prevent him from moving.

“I swear to the heavens I’ll kill you if you move,” Felix sneered.

“You wouldn’t-”

“Oh, do you want to try?”

Red dots began to appear as the blade broke the skin and Dongyul cried out in pain. Felix wasn’t sure how long he could hold Dongyul here, but he could at least try.

Dongyul’s breathing was heavy, but he remained still.

Felix didn’t dare to look away from him, scared of Dongyul taking advantage of that.

Vines burst through the stone floor, grasping onto everyone they could.

Felix snapped his head up to see Minho and Hyunjin at the other side of the room, Hyunjin with his hands outstretched. His brows were furrowed as the vines continued to move through the mass of people, grabbing at their feet and bodies, pulling them down to the ground.

“You’re okay!” Felix yelled, trying to make himself heard. He looked around, towards where Jisung had been and his worries lessened a bit as he saw Jeongin by Jisung’s side.

“We are!” Minho called back. “Let’s put an end to this.” He extended his hands, this time towards Dongyul and vines broke through the floor. They didn’t look like Hyunjin’s, but instead they were sickly green but they appeared just as sturdy as they tied Dongyul to the floor.

With Dongyul stuck, the short sword fell out of Felix’s trembling hands. Dongyul struggled, his dark eyes still furious as he stared at Felix. He cursed Felix.

Felix scrambled to his feet, making sure to grab the sword as he stood up. His whole body was trembling, his heart pounding in his chest and blood rushing in his ears.

“Where’s Eunkyung?” he asked, spinning around just in time to see a vine trip Eunkyung. As the vines touched her, they disintegrated into nothing, burning away in a bright, poison green light and Hyunjin hissed in pain. Felix began to make his way towards her. If the vines couldn’t hold her down, they needed to restrain her in some other way.

But Seungmin was faster.

Seungmin straddled Eunkyung, pinning her to the floor.

Felix could see him breathing heavily.

“You ruined me,” he whispered, his voice broken. “You made me into this monster no one can accept.”

“I gave you power, Seungminnie,” Eunkyung sneered. “You made yourself into this monster.”

“Did I have any choice? You made sure I could do nothing but follow your orders,” Seungmin said. He took a deep, shuddering breath and in a flash of blue, he summoned a short dagger. He held the tip of it pressed against Eunkyung’s throat. “Did you ever predict this? You, who spoke so highly of your visions, did you foresee this?”

“You were always a failure,” Eunkyung replied, her voice as steady as ever. “You’re unstable. You always felt too much.” She snickered to herself. “It’s a pity that you were the more powerful one. Your brother would have been a better fit for this mission.”

“Maybe he would,” Seungmin spat. “At least he wouldn’t have killed you.”

“You won’t kill me,” Eunkyung retorted. Her words were still steady, but Felix could see the look in her eyes growing panicked. “I created you! You cannot kill me!”

“You created me. You granted me this power,” Seungmin whispered, pushing the blade firmer against her throat. “That’s exactly why I can kill you.”

“Seungmin!” Felix called out but it was too late.

Seungmin pushed the blade through Eunkyung’s throat. The witch stared at him with wide eyes, blood sputtering from her mouth as she attempted to speak. Felix couldn’t hear what she said, but he could pick out one word.

One name.

_Insu._

“I’m doing the world a service by ridding it of you,” Seungmin hissed, voice cracking as he let go of the dagger, allowing it to remain as he sat up.

Time stopped for a moment, the silence ringing in the room. From outside, the sounds had stopped as well. Felix held his breath, praying to all the gods that Chan and Changbin were okay. The soldiers had scattered, Dongyul was tied up by vines and Eunkyung’s body laid unmoving under Seungmin.

The blade in Felix’s hand shimmered before it vanished.

“Felix!” Chan yelled as he ran into the room, followed by Changbin.

Felix spun around just in time to catch Chan in a hug. 

“You’re okay! You’re okay!” he mumbled into Chan’s shoulder, holding onto him like his life depended on it. As a weird sense of calm settled, Felix became aware of his hands. There was a stinging pain in his hands and he could feel the tears sting in his eyes.

“We’re okay,” Chan assured him, pulling back a little to take Felix’s face in his hands. “We’re okay.” He blinked, his bright blue eyes glossy with tears. His breathing was heavy, shuddering every time he exhaled. “You… What happened?” he asked, brushing his fingers over Felix’s hair. “Your hair isn’t silver anymore.”

“What?”

“It’s like gold,” Chan mumbled, showing Felix his hand and the faint dusting of gold.

“Oh.” Felix looked down on himself, on his hands. There was the faintest bit of gold markings on his hands. He turned them over and looked at his palms. The burn was still there, but the skin had started to heal up already. He blinked in confusion. “I don’t know what happened.”

“FELIX!” Jisung yelled, tackling Felix into a surprise hug. “We did it! You did it!” His voice was choked up and his cheeks tear streaked, but he was laughing. He had a cut on his forehead and blood matted his hair. But he looked okay.

“You’re okay!” Felix said, whimpering as the pain in his hands made itself known again. 

“Is everyone okay?” he asked, looking around the group as they rejoined in the remains of the ballroom.

“As okay as we can be right now,” Changbin replied as he joined Jisung’s side.

“I think we’re all okay,” Hyunjin said, holding onto Minho as he looked around. He glanced at Minho and then on Jeongin who stood beside him. “We’re okay.”

Jeongin nodded in agreement.

“Seungmin is gone,” Minho said, looking towards Eunkyung’s body.

The body laid there, unmoving, but Seungmin had vanished. All that remained was a trail of blood leading towards the south exit.

Felix gave Chan a glance. Then he turned and ran down the hallway, following the trail.

  
  


The sun was rising in the east, just barely peeking over the tall trees. It felt easier to breathe now, with the curse and threat gone. But there was still that buzz of unease through the forest. Just as Jeongin had speculated, there seemed to be something more in the forest. But whatever it was, it didn’t bother them right now.

Right now, Felix could breathe.

He rushed down the hallway, calling for Seungmin and hoping the other would hear him. He needed to speak with him. He needed to make sure he was okay.

The trail of blood continued down the hallway and the stairs.

“Seungmin!” he called out as he ran down the stairs, catching up to the other. He stopped at the foot of the stairs and Seungmin paused by the fountain. He spun around, eyes wide as he looked at Felix. “Where are you going?”

Seungmin looked at Felix for a moment, his hand pressed against his torso. Felix could see the white cloth being stained by red. “Away,” he finally replied and turned around again, attempting to leave.

“Wait!”

Seungmin froze, facing Felix.

“Thank you, Seungmin.”

“Why are you thanking me?” Seungmin asked, brows furrowed. “I betrayed you. I brought you here and handed you over to Eunkyung. You shouldn’t thank me, Felix. You should be ordering my execution if anything.”

“I don’t… I wouldn’t want that.” Felix took a slow step towards Seungmin, as if he was approaching a scared animal. “For a moment I… I felt betrayed but we wouldn’t have been able to get out of there without you. You said you didn’t want to do that, and while you’ve told many lies, I think that was the truth.”

Seungmin snorted. “You’re still soft and kind-hearted, Felix. You really try to see the best in people, no matter how much they hurt you,” he said, approaching Felix. He stopped right in front of him, placing a hand on Felix’s arm. “Never lose that, okay? But be a bit more careful with who you trust.”

“I’ll try,” Felix said with a nod, and a smile, an actually genuine smile, stretched on Seungmin’s lips. There was something in his eyes that twinkled as the smile reached all the way.

“I better get going,” Seungmin said, glancing over Felix’s shoulder. He seemed to lock his eyes on something and he nodded. “You should go back to your dragon.”

Felix turned around to see Chan standing at the top of the stairs, just watching them.

“Where are you going?”

Seungmin shrugged as he took a step back. “I don’t know. I think I need to… take some time to understand myself. I haven’t been without Eunkyung for a long time now.” He ran a hand through his blue hair. “Maybe I’ll do one of those soul-searching journeys.” His eyes flickered back up to the stairs. “I’ll try my best to stay away from you all.”

“But-”

“I don’t want to hurt any of you more than I already have,” Seungmin said, offering Felix a small smile. “Gold looks better on you than silver did,” he said and Felix couldn’t help but smile.

There was something that ached in his chest. Felix wasn’t sure what it was. Maybe, despite everything, Seungmin was still his friend.

“Goodbye, Prince Felix,” Seungmin said. He gave Felix a nod and turned around. He began to walk away and Felix felt powerless. He could only watch him leave.

“Seungmin!”

Seungmin stopped and glanced over his shoulder.

“Will you return?”

Seungmin thought for a moment before he shrugged. “Maybe,” he replied, exhaling loudly. “If fate intends for us to see each other again, we just might.”

With that he looked ahead of him and vanished into the dark forest.

The sound of footsteps from behind caused Felix to turn around and he saw Chan approach.

“What did he say?” Chan asked, his voice strained and Felix didn’t miss the slight tremble of his hands. “Where is he going?”

“He’s leaving. Where, I don’t know. But he needed some time to figure himself out.”

“Sounds wise,” Chan said. “I’m not sure if he’d been accepted into the castle again.”

“I don’t think he’s a bad person,” Felix said, grabbing onto Chan’s hand and held on tightly. It hurt, as the skin of his palms were raw, but he gritted his teeth and tried to not think about it. “I think he’s just very hurt and confused.”

“He did bad things, Felix,” Chan pointed out and Felix hummed, just staring off towards the edge of the forest where Seungmin had stood. “He could have gotten you killed.”

“I could have killed you,” Felix pointed out. “I didn’t want to, but I could have. I don’t think he had much say in his actions.” He tightened his grasp of Chan’s hand. “If Eunkyung created him, her power over him must have been very strong.”

Chan only hummed.

“I hope… I hope he returns. I still think that there’s a good person inside,” Felix said, turning to Chan.

“I guess that only time will be able to tell,” Chan said. He still didn’t look fully convinced, but Felix didn’t blame him.

Felix squeezed Chan’s hand. “Let’s go home,” he whispered, reaching out with his free hand to brush his fingers along Chan’s jaw. “I want to go home.”

“So do I,” Chan said, a heavy sigh leaving his lips as he leaned forward. His nose brushed against Felix’s and Felix let go of Chan’s hand to instead cradle his face.

Chan’s lips were warm and as he kissed Felix, all the emotions within Felix just bubbled to the surface. All the suppressed happiness, fear and sorrow all mixed and he sobbed against Chan’s lips. He held onto Chan tightly and he never wanted to let go.

“I love you,” Chan whispered against his lips, voice cracking and when he pulled back, Felix could see that he was crying as well.

“I love you,” Felix whispered, blinking the tears out of his eyes as they blurred his vision. He took a deep breath. “Let’s go home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE'RE SO CLOOOOOOOOSE TO THE END !! (of this story! more stories in this au to come!)
> 
> man. im so happy with this chapter. I'm not really good at action but I reaLLY tried ;w; you can reach me on [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/pinkpunchmango) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/pinkpunchmango) uwu <3
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!


	15. Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Don't lose hope, for the sun always rises again._

Things had returned to normal.

Kind of normal. As normal as they could return to, given the circumstances.

Felix was back as the prince of Serenn, living in the castle in the capital and guarded by his loyal dragonguards. His father had luckily survived, but was in terrible condition. Returning to his duties as the king took him quite some time but eventually he was back. This time, he did not force Felix to get married to someone he didn’t know.

Eventually, the winter solstice rolled around, and that called for celebrations.

Felix stared at his reflection in the mirror. He still got surprised by his own appearance. He couldn't recognize himself. His hair had remained that golden blond color and his stardust never returned to silver. His eyes had turned into a warm brown color, light and bordering to amber. To match his new color palette, he had received clothes stitched with golden threads instead of silver. The person that stared back at him seemed so different, yet he felt like himself. It was an odd feeling and he wasn't sure how to deal with it.

He took a deep breath, but the stiff jacket hindered him to inhale fully. He felt somewhat restrained. It was uncomfortable and he felt out of place like this. While he didn’t miss the circumstances, he sometimes found himself wishing to go back to the forest. He wanted to go back to a place where he could just be himself, and not force himself to be the prince everyone expected him to be.

He couldn’t live up to everyone’s expectations on him.

A knock on his door caused him to startle in surprise, and he blinked wide eyed at the door as it opened. Then his heart melted.

“Do you need any help?” Chan asked as he poked his head through the door of Felix's room.

Felix turned his attention back to his reflection as Chan closed the door behind him. He looked himself over once again, tugging at the hem of his shirt to straighten it.

Chan joined him in the reflection, wrapping his arms around Felix’s waist and pressed a kiss on Felix’s neck.

“I think I’m ready,” Felix said, a giggle making its way into his voice as Chan’s hair tickled him. He grabbed Chan’s hands, prying them away from his waist and he turned around to face Chan. “How do I look?”

Chan took a moment, leaning back to eye Felix from head to toe and Felix did the same. Chan wasn’t wearing his armor, but instead he was wearing a dark jacket with a scale pattern embroidered in silver on his shoulders.

It made Felix’s heart flutter.

“You look handsome,” he said as Chan took a step towards him.

“You do too,” Chan whispered, taking Felix’s face in his hands. “Radiant. Beautiful. Stunning.”

Felix’s face heated up. “Stop,” he protested weakly. “I don’t want to exit my room red faced. The staff might get the wrong ideas.”

“Do I look like I care, my prince?” Chan asked, pressing a quick kiss on Felix’s nose. “You’re so cute I cannot resist teasing you.”

“You’re a very bad man, sir knight,” Felix said, slapping Chan’s chest playfully. The grin on Chan’s lips only stretched wider.

“On a more serious note, we should get going,” Chan said and Felix hummed. “Your father might tolerate me right now, but I don’t think he’ll be too thrilled if we’ve been late to three events in a row.”

“Currently you do have a very bad track record,” Felix said, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Chan.

“I will take the blame for the first time, but last time was all your doing, little prince,” Chan said, raising his hands. “I just know your father’s distaste for me and you showing up late in my company is automatically my fault in his eyes.”

“He’ll come around eventually.” Chan didn’t look convinced. “He’ll have to,” Felix continued, his heart fluttering in his chest and he took a deep breath. “I’ll talk to him later,” he said, smiling widely as Chan offered his arm to him.

They walked to the door but Felix froze up as Chan placed a hand on the knob.

“Wait.”

“What’s wrong?” Chan asked, frowning as he turned to Felix. He studied Felix’s face for a moment. “What are you thinking about?”

“I- There-” Felix took a deep breath, calming his heart as it sped up in his chest. “I haven’t been to a large event since…” He vaguely gestured to himself. “This.” He bit his lower lip. “I don’t know what to expect and I’m just… nervous I guess.”

“It’ll be fine,” Chan said softly, taking Felix’s face in his hands. “I’m also nervous. I’ve never been to an event like this where I wasn’t… you know, your personal guard. It’s all new but I’m very sure it’s going to be alright.” He smiled, leaning closer to brush his nose against Felix’s. “We’ve been through worse.”

Felix couldn’t help but smile and he nodded. “We have,” he said, cradling Chan’s face in his hands. He pressed yet another kiss on Chan’s lips, his heart fluttering in his chest. He opened his mouth to speak, but a sudden knock on the door caused him to startle in surprise.

“I’m not entering because I don’t know what you two are doing, but you need to hurry up,” Jisung said from the other side of the door. “You’re not late yet but I fear the consequences of being late will be terrible this time.”

Felix snorted and shook his head, letting go of Chan’s face. He took a deep breath and faced the door. “Let’s go then.”

Chan offered his arm once more, the smile on his lips stretching wider as Felix took it.

“Let’s go.”

  
  
  


His father had surprised him. One, he smiled at Chan when the two of them had greeted him. Two, he had invited less of the kingdom’s nobles and instead invited more of the locals. The city smith and the royal seamstress were eagerly chatting to one another. Not much of the staff were dressed up in their uniforms, but instead mingled in their formal wear.

It was a nice sight and Felix threw his father a smug grin. His father only scowled, but Felix didn’t miss the twitch of a smile on his lips.

Looking around the ballroom, Felix’s smile widened as he laid eyes upon Hyunjung, Jiyeon, Minho and Hyunjin. The three forest spirits all looked a bit uncomfortable among the big crowd, but Hyunjung was just smiling.

“Prince Felix,” she greeted when Felix came up to them. She looked him over, the smile never leaving her lips. “You did not follow your mother’s footsteps I see.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re not a star,” she continued. “Hyunjin and Minho told me that Eunkyung tried to make you into a silver star, but it seems like you became a sun instead.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?” Felix asked as Hyunjung took his hand.

“Not quite,” she murmured, running a finger along his palm. “Technically, yes, but not when it comes to fallen celestials. Golden light and golden dust has different powers than stardust,” she said as she showed Felix her finger, gold reflecting off the dust. “You won’t have to worry about someone coming after you to get your heart.”

“Well isn’t that a relief,” Felix said and Hyunjung just smiled. He looked over the small group. “Honestly, I didn’t expect you to come to the celebrations.”

“Why not?” Hyunjin asked, brows furrowing and he pouted. “I wanted to see the palace and I still need to meet your gardener. It’s a pity that the snow is so thick right now. I bet the garden would be beautiful, if it was summer.”

“He wanted to meet Jeongin as well,” Minho said, ignoring the elbow to his ribs. “Am I wrong?” he asked, glancing at Hyunjin with a raised eyebrow.

“I haven’t seen him in months,” Hyunjin nodded, his cheeks turning pink before he snapped his head up to look at Felix. “Not like I didn’t want to see you or Chan! I wanted to see all of you! It’s been a very long time and I missed you all and-”

“Hyunjin, calm down,” Felix said, raising a hand to stop Hyunjin’s ramblings. He glanced over to Minho and a grin stretched on his lips as he locked eyes with the other forest spirit. “Jeongin is off duties today so you can join him for the evening.”

Hyunjin’s cheeks flared up and he ducked his head down to hide it.

“Don’t tease my poor boy,” Jiyeon said, reaching out to pat Hyunjin’s arm. “There, there, little one.”

“I would very much like to speak to Jeongin,” Hyunjung said, her eyes wandering over the crowd of people. “I have a few questions for him.”

“So do I,” Jiyeon said with a bright smile. “Would you like to come with us, Hyunjin?” she asked.

“I better or you might embarrass me,” Hyunjin said, his cheeks still pink. He looked at Felix, smiling widely. “I’ll see you two later,” he said, giving both Felix and Chan a nod before turning around and he began to make his way towards Jeongin.

Minho lingered with Chan and Felix for a moment.

“I better follow them,” Minho said, excusing himself as he left Chan and Felix to themselves.

They stood there in silence for a moment, eyes following Minho as he followed Hyunjin towards Jeongin. Felix’s smile widened as he spotted Changbin and Jisung, wearing armor but a bit dressed down for the occasion, standing by Jeongin.

He had requested for all his friends to be allowed at the celebrations and his father had approved of it. He had sent word to all his friends, inviting them, and he was happy that most of them had decided to join them for the evening. The forest spirits had been a gamble to invite, as Felix knew they didn’t really enjoy crowded spaces. It warmed his heart to see them here.

But there was one missing.

Felix hadn’t expected him to come, but somewhere in his heart he had hoped.

No one had seen Seungmin in months.

“Felix?” Chan asked, snapping Felix out of his daze. “You alright there, love?” He raised an eyebrow when Felix blinked, returning to reality.

“I was just thinking,” Felix said, patting Chan’s arm. “It’s nothing to worry about, I promise.”

Before Chan could speak again, the music began to play loudly and Felix’s heart leapt in his chest. He usually hated this part of celebrations, but now he felt excited as the middle of the room was filling up.

He turned to Chan, but before he could speak, Chan brought his hand up to his lips and pressed a soft kiss against his fingers. The happiness buzzed inside Felix’s chest and his heart sped up, beating fast against his ribcage.

“May I have this dance, Prince Felix?” he asked, grin on his lips and Felix swore that his heart was about to leap out of his chest.

“Yes,” he whispered, his throat closing up a bit as emotions threatened to overwhelm him.

He felt nothing but happiness as Chan led him out onto the dance floor. He could feel the gaze from the people around them burn in his back, but he didn’t care.

All that mattered to him was Chan.

  
  
  


Felix felt like a giddy teenager as he and Chan snuck out of the celebrations to get some time alone. Chan’s gloveless hand was warm against Felix’s as they closed the doors behind them. They were both smiling, something almost mischievous gleaming in their eyes.

The night air was cold and the snow laid over the land like a blanket, reflecting the bright light of the moon and the stars. The cold was slowly seeping in through his clothes, but he still felt warm as he stared up into the sky.

“A shame there wasn’t an aurora borealis tonight,” Chan said, brushing his thumb over Felix’s hand.

“Maybe we can go out tomorrow to look for one,” Felix suggested with a small smile tugging on his lips.

“I’d like that.”

They walked up to the reeling of the balcony and Felix took his eyes off the sky, looking down towards the the frozen, snow covered gardens below. As he stood there, he thought back to the time he had left his engagement celebrations with Dongyul.

This was nothing like that time.

He didn’t feel uncomfortable or scared, he felt happy and warm. He glanced over to Chan who simply gave him a curious look. Felix couldn’t help the smile on his lips and he shook his head, averting his gaze.

“What’s on your mind, little prince?”

“A lot.”

Chan raised an eyebrow, amused smile on his lips. “Such as…?”

Felix turned to face Chan, and he just took a moment to study Chan’s face. The smile on Chan’s face remained as Felix ghosted his fingers over Chan’s cheek. It felt as if his heart was going to burst through his ribcage at any moment now.

Nervousness twisted in his gut.

“I love you,” Felix breathed, his voice wavering.

“And I love you,” Chan said, brushing the back of his fingers over Felix’s cheek.

“I have… I have something to ask you,” Felix said after a brief moment of silence.

“Oh.” Chan tilted his head ever so slightly. “Just go ahead and ask then.”

“I… You can say no. It won’t change things between us, and I don’t expect this to be immediate but…” He trailed off and licked his lips. “Would you… marry me?”

Chan stared.

Felix stared back.

Chan opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. Felix’s heart was pounding in his chest and he pulled his hands back as they grew sweaty. It felt like time had frozen, like every second was an eternity.

Then Chan finally spoke.

“Yes,” he whispered, so quiet that Felix almost didn’t hear him.

“Yes?” he asked, his voice trembling. Had he misheard?

“Yes,” Chan repeated, louder this time and his blue eyes were glossy with tears. His breathing was getting heavier and Felix could hear the quiet sob. “Yes, I- I’ll marry you. I want nothing more.”

The bubble of nervousness burst inside Felix’s chest and he blinked as the tears welled up in his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak but he couldn’t find the right words. What could he even say right now? He simply took Chan’s face in his hands and kissed him.

“I love you so much,” Chan whispered between the kisses.

“And I love you. With all that I am,” Felix said, his breath ghosting over Chan’s lips. He took a deep breath and pulled back, studying Chan’s face again.

Chan placed a hand on Felix’s cheek, drying the tears off with his thumb.

“Don’t cry,” he said, even though he was crying himself.

Felix laughed, the sound slightly choked by the tears.

“I can’t help it,” he sniffled, leaning closer to rest his forehead against Chan’s. “I’m just very happy.”

“So am I,” Chan said, moving his hands to rest on Felix’s waist. “I suppose we’ll wait with discussing wedding details until you’ve told your father.”

“Yes,” Felix said, the smile so wide on his lips. “I want a spring or summer wedding though. I don’t think my father will speak against me.”

“I don’t doubt that,” Chan murmured. “You have him wrapped around your finger by now.”

“True,” Felix said, pressing a quick kiss on Chan’s lips. He sighed happily, more tears beginning to well up. “I can’t wait for our happy ever after.”

“You don’t have to,” Chan said. He brushed a hand up Felix’s side, his touch leaving goosebumps in its wake. “It has already begun.”

“You know what I mean,” Felix said, shoving Chan weakly but Chan only tightened his grip of Felix’s waist.

“I do,” Chan said, smug smile tugging on his lips. “I can’t wait to share the rest of my life with you.”

“Neither can I,” Felix whispered, kissing Chan one last time before pulling back to look up in the dark sky.

The stars had never shone this bright. His eyes quickly found the familiar constellation where his mother belonged and for a split second, he could have sworn that he saw the light from her star brighten. His heart fluttered and somewhere deep inside he just _knew_. She was watching over him and she was proud of him.

Felix took Chan’s hand.

  
  
  
  
  


_fin._

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow holy hell this has been a ride. I can't even begin to tell y'all how thankful I am to you for reading and supporting this. This has been my passion project since July. A fun story: it started because Chan said he wanted to be a dragon, so I made him a dragon. Originally, Felix was going to be a dragon as well, but then I was whining about the first skz fic i ever wrote but never posted, which was a stardust au and how i wanted to write a stardust au. So, here we are.
> 
> A BIG CHUNKY thank yoU to the artists who have been drawing for this au uwu I will try to remember to add art as we go along if new art comes up <3 
> 
> Another big thank you to Nad, Lyds, Aja, Miki and Liza who were all a part of the planning process of this fic <3 it wouldn't have been the same without you!
> 
> And as a special treat, I will include few sentences (each sentence from a different scene) from Shards of glass, the upcoming 2min sequel to this story uwu. A little note about this tho, I will be taking a lil break from this au to focus on other projects, so the sequel wont be up until December I think. But I hope to see you all in the sequel <3
> 
> _“Information I have, if you’re willing to pay for it,” the woman said._
> 
> _Oh great, a spirit guide._
> 
> _"Who was that?"_
> 
> _"You're a liar, blade mage. A filthy liar."_
> 
> _“Brother,” Seungmin greeted, clenching his jaw. “Haven’t seen you around for a while.”_
> 
> _Seungmin was nothing but a coward._

**Author's Note:**

> Links to existing character art:
> 
> [Nad's Chanlix (1)](https://twitter.com/abowlofberry/status/1293876489855803392?s=20)
> 
> [Nad's Chanlix (2)](https://twitter.com/abowlofberry/status/1293592239285743617?s=20)
> 
> [Nad's Chanlix (3)](https://twitter.com/abowlofberry/status/1293608582814920704?s=20)
> 
> [Nad's Chanlix (4)](https://twitter.com/abowlofberry/status/1301742681530408960?s=20)
> 
> [Nad's servant!Seungmin](https://twitter.com/abowlofberry/status/1294015151067156481?s=20)
> 
> [Charly's dragonguard!Chan](https://twitter.com/JesterFesta/status/1293582573084516354?s=20)
> 
> [Felix, Chan and Jisung by Nad](https://twitter.com/abowlofberry/status/1293513314836733952?s=20)
> 
> [Hyunho by Nad](https://twitter.com/abowlofberry/status/1302311986332459010?s=20)
> 
> [Confused Minho by Nad](https://twitter.com/abowlofberry/status/1304003209103511552?s=20)
> 
> [merc!Seungmin by Nad](https://twitter.com/abowlofberry/status/1304457221590269952?s=20)
> 
> [Nad's 2min doodles](https://twitter.com/abowlofberry/status/1310431458998116353?s=20)
> 
> [Marzia's Binsung](https://twitter.com/marsipan_art/status/1302308117347172352?s=20)
> 
> [2min by Nad](https://twitter.com/abowlofberry/status/1317162494092222465?s=20)
> 
> [All the boys by Pia](https://twitter.com/piapi__/status/1321890785344802816)


End file.
